As the office cites a flawed funding system and rising caseloads,the ACLU has filed a lawsuit claiming that abandoning indigent defendants is unconstitutional The modern Orleans office that represents poor criminal defendants has started refusing to seize on serious cases – murder, rape, or manslaughter – due to a lack of funds,and the crisis may soon spread from Louisiana to other states.
A flawed funding scheme, rising caseloads, and – strange as it sounds – safe driving in modern Orleans maintain all conspired to leave the Orleans public defenders office unable to handle enormous cases. So this month,the office announced that it would turn away many facing serious felony charges, particularly those with potential life sentences. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com