All who work in public defense know there is a problem -- we call it the "indigent defense crisis." In 2002, NLADA established the Justice Standards, Evaluation and Research Initiative (JSERI) in order to concretely evaluate the depth and breadth of both successes and difficulties in indigent defense representation throughout the country, providing a measurement of public defense services against national standards. JSERI's protocol for evaluation of any system combines a review of the jurisdiction's budgetary, caseload, and organizational information with site visits to observe courtroom practice and interviews of all key criminal justice system stakeholders and policymakers.
On August 16, 2007, a public defense attorney in Portage County, Ohio was appointed to represent a client on the very day the client's case was set to go to trial by jury. The attorney asked for a delay to investigate and prepare, but the judge only gave him an extended 2 1/2 hour lunch break. Unable to proceed with the trial, the attorney was arrested, convicted, and sentenced by the judge for contempt of court.
This Resolution issued, commending the public defense attorney for defending his client's right to effective assistance of counsel, and condemning the judge's actions.
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Ohio's Chief Justice calls for reform of probation system
An Associated Press story today notes the counter-productive consequences of disproportionate sentences on low-risk, non-violent offenders. By "exposing them to harsher probationary terms than they require" and "removing minor offenders from their communities, families and jobs makes it much more likely they'll commit more crimes and go back to prison." In the face of Ohio's ongoing budget woes, the state's chief justice says now is the time for sentencing reform.
Gideon Alert: Ohio Public Defender Commission to force change in Hamilton County (Cincinnati)
On June 27th, 2010 the Cincinnati Enquirer reported about how the Ohio Public Defender Commission (OPDC) is forcing change to public defense services in Hamilton County, by withholding state reimbursements and potentially suing the county ov
NLADA evaluated the provision of right to counsel services in Hamilton County, Ohio (Cincinnati) at the request of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners. This 2008 report found that poor people charged with crimes and facing a potential loss of liberty are not afforded the constitutional protections demanded by the U.S. Constitution, and that the solutions require statutory authority from the state legislature, funding beyond what the county can provide, and the cooperation of the courts, the prosecutors, law enforcement, and the private bar.
Items contained in the NLADA Library do not and are not meant to constitute advice of any kind. Content in the NLADA Library is contributed by users. If you believe this material infringes your or any other person’s copyright or if you feel that the material is inappropriate, please report this to NLADA Staff by clicking below.
Nuts & Bolts of Leadership & Management NDLI 2010
Odds are that you became a supervisor of others because you were an excellent trial attorney. Yet helping other attorneys to achieve the best outcomes for their clients requires different and additional skills -- skills you were not taught in law school. And, as you move into management levels in your public defense system, you are called on to engage with the public