New York State Defenders Release First In Series Of Reports Highlighting State’s Public Defense Crisis

ALBANY, NY (10/10/2007)(readMedia)-- JUSTICE IMPAIRED IS JUSTICE DENIED

POLL SHOWS OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR STATE TAKEOVER OF DEFENSE SERVICES FOR DEFENDANTS UNABLE TO PAY FOR PRIVATE LAWYERS

NEW YORK STATE DEFENDERS RELEASE FIRST IN SERIES OF REPORTS HIGHLIGHTING STATE’S PUBLIC DEFENSE CRISIS

Franklin County fails to meet its constitutionally mandated obligation to provide poor defendants with fair and effective representation in criminal cases and is in gross violation of nationally recognized legal standards, according to the first in a series of reports on the woeful condition of the state’s public defense services to be released at the State Capitol on Thursday, October 11th.

The report to the New York State Defenders Association, prepared by the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA), is entitled “Justice Impaired: The Impact of the State of New York’s Failure to Effectively Implement the Right to Counsel.” Its findings echo those of a report last year to Chief Judge Judith Kaye by the Commission on the Future of Indigent Defense Services that called for a state takeover of the system of public defense.

The Kaye Commission report, the findings of which have been endorsed by Governor Spitzer, declared the state’s current county-based system “an on-going crisis” and called for creation of an Independent Public Defense Commission to hire a statewide public defender and to promulgate statewide standards. Bills to create an Independent Public Defense Commission have been introduced into the State Senate and Assembly – S.4311-A introduced by Senator Dale Volker (R-C-I, Depew) and A.9087-A by Assemblyman Joseph Lentol (D-Brooklyn).

Who/What: NYS Defenders Association and National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) release report and opinion poll on state of public defense services in NYS

David Carroll, NLADA Jonathan Gradess, NYS Defenders Association James Feeley, Franklin County Manager Michael Whiteman, Chairman, Committee for an Independent Public Defense Commission

Where: LCA Press Room Room 130, LOB

When: 11 a.m., Thursday, October 11, 2007

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