In Louisiana, public defense may be lost forever.
Your right to a lawyer when you can’t afford one. The Sixth Amendment. The cornerstone of American justice. Gone. But there’s still time to act.
This is a campaign to save public defense and end user pay* in Louisiana.
*Louisiana only funds 41% of the public defender system. The rest is user pay. The unjust and unsustainable funding system in Louisiana that forces the very people unable to afford lawyers to pay for public defense off of the fines and fees from their arrest, conviction, and incarceration.
The Constitutional Crisis in Louisiana
“It’s a bizarre way to fund legal defense for the poor. The salaries of public defenders are dependent on people being found guilty of crimes, some of whom may be their own clients.”
——
Radley Balko, The Washington Post
April 8, 2020
A CASE STUDY
A police shooting. A flood. A crisis of public defense dependent on user pay.
In the best of times, relying on those too poor to afford an attorney to fund public defense is irrational and unfair. In the worst of times, it’s catastrophic. And now, history is repeating itself.
Public defenders are not just constitutionally required. Public defenders are essential.
State legislators are on the right track
“We have a constitutional obligation.”
On June 4, 2020, legislators heard from public defenders and community members. And they listened. Legislators were struck by the injustice of how public defense is funded in Louisiana and pledged to right this wrong. Now they can.
Will you help fight for basic fairness?
Take Action Now
TAKE ACTION
Call on Louisiana Legislators to fully fund public defense instead of forcing those who can’t afford a lawyer to pay for legal services they have a constitutional right to.
SHARE YOUR VOICE
Join the growing chorus of voices calling to save public defense and end user pay in Louisiana. Click the button below to share why you think public defense is so critical.
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