Public defender head found in contempt of court

From The Journal-Gazette:

The volunteer lawyer who has worked to upgrade the New Orleans public defender’s office since Hurricane Katrina was found in contempt of court Thursday for violating a judge’s order to stay out of a case.

Steve Singer, who will be sentenced by Criminal District Judge Frank Marullo on Monday, faces up to six months in jail and a $500 fine.

In August, Marullo ruled that Reese Sims, 58, who faced felony charges for copper theft, a felony, was not indigent. Marullo removed the public defender from the case and ordered Sims to hire a private attorney.

But Marullo found out that an Orleans Parish Indigent Defender investigator was working Sims’ case. He also leaned that Singer referred Sims to an attorney at the Loyola Law Clinic, Bradley Black, who agreed to represent Sims pro bono.

Read the entire story