LOUISIANA PUBLIC DEFENDERS' ASSOCIATION
LOUISIANA PUBLIC DEFENDERS' ASSOCIATION
"TRUSTEES OF FREEDOM"1
"Dedicated to the Right to Counsel" Louisiana Public Defenders Association is dedicated to improving the services provided for Indigents in Criminal Courts in Louisiana. On a Parish (County) by Parish basis, our members provide counsel to those who cannot afford to retain their own, through the system of Court Appointed Lawyers known as "Public Defenders". For more information in general on these lawyers, the how and why, see WHAT PUBLIC DEFENDERS DO
REFORM BLOG Kentucky Defenders stop taking cases - State seeks injunctive relief and claims over counting: data is the bedrock for what we do! 7/24/2008
INMATE GOES OUT WITH FINAL WORDS ENDORSING BARAK - uh, thanks? Texas and Mississippi executed inmates last night. One of them decided his last words should be to endorse Obama! Now, Fox News is going to have a field day with this one! Two Lethal Injections proceeded on either side of Louisiana, with Mississippi killing the second in two months. Texas remains #1 in the body count. Mr. Bishop had not struck a fatal blow, but a Mississippi jury found him guilty as a principle. 7/24/ 08
PRIVATE PRISON ADVERTISING TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT TO COURTS - A slick mailer is out in Louisiana regarding "The Academy of Training" - apparently a private halfway house/ prison in Lacassine, in Southwest Louisiana. The place seems to offer employment, moral therapy and intermediate sanctions. Are we ok with direct mail ads for prisons? 7/ 23/ 08
HURRICANE DOLLY MOVES INTO SOUTH TEXAS - The first storm of the season follows typical July track into border area of South Texas. 7/ 23 /08
CLOSING ARGUMENTS - DRAMA VS. OBJECTIVITY - Burns pushes emotional buttons, but Cuccia doesn't bite, instead noting the State doesn't have the law to support Capital Murder on the facts of this case. 7/ 25/08
JUDICIAL INTERVENTION EXPLAINED TO PUBLIC DEFENDER SEMINAR - The Judges may respond to recent findings by the Federal Courts of "ineffective Capital Counsel". No, its not by granting a Continuance! Its by jumping in and making determinations of effectiveness in advance of trial! 7/ 20 /08
NORTHEAST LA PUBLIC DEFENDERS IMPROVE - New study demonstrates supervision and accountability can work. Even before full power up of State Program, one area of the state is running a tighter ship. 7/ 20 /08
ANOTHER FEDERAL PCR GRANTED - WOODFOX COUNSEL INEFFECTIVE AG Caldwell wants to Appeal, but things haven't gone well in the 5th Circuit this year, with affirmance on a couple of these. 30 years in solitary confinement after 1973 trial mean little to the "more jail" faction. 7/ 10 /08
HOFSTRA LAW REVIEW EDITION DEDICATED TO MITIGATION Volume 36, No. 3 (Spring 2008) Entire issue available on line in PDF, includes Guidelines for Mitigation Counsel. 7/8/08 (Thanks to ACCD for this lead)
AMICUS IN CERT APP PROVIDES EXCELLENT HISTORY OF RACISM IN LOUISIANA - Quoting the 1898 Constitutional Convention's mandate to limit voting and jury duty to "white males only", LACDL files Amicus in the US Supreme Court for Derrick Todd Lee. The issue is less than unanimous verdicts. The Brief is a historic treasure trove of the foundation of Criminal Justice in LUZIANNA! Whatever the outcome, this is some compelling, if not chilling public record that sheds some light on our current problems. Posted at LACDL Web. 7 / 9/ 08
A PUBLIC DEFENDER I MET BUT NEVER KNEW - One of the first Champions of Criminal Justice was past his prime when we worked in Lafayette, but he had been a true hero. Gilbert King has put the case in print. 6/ 30 /08
SEARCH BEGINS FOR TATE AWARD NOMINEES - LaPDA is looking for deserving Criminal Justice Professionals to receive recognition as Trustees of Freedom at the LACDL/ LaPDA Tate Awards Dinner this fall. 7/7/08
BY 5 to 4, SCOTUS REVERSES LOUISIANA ON DEATH FOR CHILD RAPE 6/25
JEAN MOVES IN - LA PD BOARD HAS NEW STATE CHIEF PUBLIC DEFENDER - Governor Jindal let the amending statute fixing "compensation" at that of a Supreme Court Justice take effect without his signature, and Jean Faria formally moved from the Federal Public Defender's office to the La PD Office in Baton Rouge, planning to start June 1st - the board has POSTED THE VIDEO TAPE OF HER INTERVIEW FOR PUBLIC ACCESS! Good luck Jean! We think a rich experience since her first run at the top PD spot will serve all well. 5/ 28 /08
19th Annual Crim Litigation
Seminar November 14 & 15, 2008 Study Law or Nick Saban?
November
14 & 15 is the weekend Alabama comes to Tiger Stadium. Will Nick tempt
you to miss your CLE? Its hard to get a Hotel Venue in the fall, and we
tried, but now its up to you, Mr. Criminal Defender: SABAN or STUDY?
ABOUT 200 ATTEND TATE DINNER NOV 30 - Sam Dalton, Chief Justice join a united Criminal Defense Bar in praise of the Right to Counsel and those who nobly serve it. 12/ 3 /07
La. Public Defender Act of 2007 - Act 307 HISTORY OF REFORM ARCHIVE
Death Penalty Defenders Lethal Injection in Louisiana is still
Unconstitutional
PAST PAGE ONE LINKS ARCHIVE links and stories that ran earlier (LIVE LINKS NOT GUARANTEED) OLD COVERS: April Fools 2008 4th July 2007
DR McPHONEY? - THE McCormick FILES LIDAB EXPERT FUND OPEN
HOT LINKS - other Criminal Law sites on the WEB
Contact us, LAPDA, P.O. Box 82389, Lafayette, La. 70598-2389 CEO @ LAPDA org
DAUBERT CLARENCE EARL GIDEON Booker v US