Public Defenders Burdened with Heavy Work, Little Money

The American Press reports on a study of the Calcasieu Parish jusicial system that will be released by the American Bar Association today. The report indicates that public defenders have difficulty providing adequate representation because of heavy caseloads and inadequate funding.

"The report confirms what many of us have known for a long time: indigent criminal defendants do not receive a fair defense," said Tom Lorenzi, president-elect of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association. "When it takes an average of almost a year and a half for a case to come to trial, the system is clearly broken."

Posted by AJR at July 22, 2003 08:36 AM