Public Defender’s Office budget shortfall could stall cases

From WWLTV (NOLA):

Two major players in the New Orleans criminal justice system will make their budget pitches to the City Council on Friday, but only one is expected to get funding.

The District Attorney’s Office has historically received millions from the city’s general fund, but those with the Orleans Public Defenders say they’ve never received a dime.

Incoming Chief Public Defender Derwyn Bunton says an upcoming financial shortfall is only expected to make matters worse.

“Everything is on the table for us, from cuts in services to cuts in staff and salaries,” said Bunton.

The office is funded through the state, court fees and fines, and through a $1.7 million grant from the federal government.  The grant, however, is slated to expire at the end of the year.

Interim Chief Public Defender Chris Flood says the financial hole only adds to the widening gap in resources between his department and the District Attorney’s Office.

“Right now there is one public defender to every three district attorneys,” said Flood.

Flood describes the disparity as a sort of three-legged race for justice where his 32 public defenders, all assigned to help the city’s poor and accused, are figuratively tied at the ankles to the 92 district attorneys paid to argue against them.

We can move the cases through the court system as fast as they can be defended, not as fast as they can be prosecuted,” said Flood.

Flood and Bunton say unless their office can close the funding gap, they will have to begin making cuts as early as January 1, 2009.

“If we have to cut back on services that could mean cases without lawyers and cases without layers don’t move forward,” said Flood.

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