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La. Public Defenders Can't Meet Demands Due To Funding

Red River Radio | By Chuck Smith
Published March 10, 2017 at 10:07 AM EST
NO PUBLIC DEFENDER - Louisiana jails more people awaiting trial because they can't afford an attorney and public defenders are scarce.
Courtesy: Public Domain
NO PUBLIC DEFENDER - Louisiana jails more people awaiting trial because they can't afford an attorney and public defenders are scarce.
NO PUBLIC DEFENDER - Louisiana jails more people awaiting trial because they can't afford an attorney and public defenders are scarce.
Credit Courtesy: Public Domain
/
Courtesy: Public Domain
NO PUBLIC DEFENDER - Louisiana jails more people awaiting trial because they can't afford an attorney and public defenders are scarce.

LA PUBLIC DEFENDERS OFFICE FUNDING - The Louisiana Justice Reinvestment Task  Force has been charged with making criminal justice reform recommendations aimed at reducing the incarceration rate, but funding for public defenders has not been considered.  The Task Force will make recommendations to the state legislature in the next few weeks.  A class action suit, filed last month in state district court, is seeking to have that funding mechanism declared unconstitutional. Meanwhile, 33 of the state’s 42 public defender offices are turning away clients due to lack of resources.

Calcasieu Parish Courthouse
Credit Courtesy: Wiki-Commons
/
Courtesy: Wiki-Commons
Calcasieu Parish Courthouse

33 of the Louisiana’s 42 public defender offices are turning away clients due to lack of resources.

Copyright 2017 Red River Radio
Louisiana News
Chuck Smith
Chuck Smith brings more than 30 years' experience to Red River Radio having started out as a radio news reporter and moving into television journalism as a newsmagazine producer / host, talk-show moderator, programming director and managing producer and news director / anchor for commercial, public broadcasting and educational television. He has more recently worked in advertising, marketing and public relations as a writer, video producer and media consultant. In pursuit of higher learning, Chuck studied Mass Communications at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia and motion picture / television production at the University of California at Los Angeles. He has also taught writing for television at York Technical College in Rock Hill, South Carolina and video / film production at Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport.
See stories by Chuck Smith