Some New Orleans Public Defenders at Maximum Caseload Capacity, Will Not Accept New Cases
The WDSU television station reports:
The chief public defender said in the next two months half his staff will have to refuse new felony cases because the New Orleans office is saddled with more than it can handle. Lawyers are handling an average of 300 felony cases a year. That’s twice the amount for state and national standards. The reason: the public defender’s office needs more money.
In addition to underfunding, another strain on the defender’s office is the district attorney’s practice of accepting a high percentage (90%) of cases for prosecution.
Related:
- The New Orleans Times-Picayune had reported on previous funding shortfalls at the defender’s office last December.
- The PSLawNet Blog interviewed Chief Defender Derwyn Bunton earlier this year, and asked him about funding issues in the long-term. Mr. Bunton expressed cautious optimism, but of course the bar is pretty low because indigent defense funding in Louisiana has historically been weak.