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
SEX OFFENDERS MAY BE TOO INCLUSIVE: TEEN INDISCRETIONS LEADING TO "LIFETIME REGISTRATION"? Putting aside the obvious questions about the out of control 'get the sex offenders' stuff getting into the lawbooks, does it make any sense for teenagers engaging in consensual sex with teenagers to be branded for life? 5/14/08
STEVE SINGER: SAME SONG, NEW COURT: CONTEMPT IN WILLARD'S COURT - Cuffs, not the "style" kind, for Steve Singer, once again. When told to "exit", the TP says he staged a sit in and physically resisted. Judge Willard exhibited some judicious patience and didn't go with the jail drama, but held Steve in contempt for a while in the break room. Interesting reference to one eyewitness account: "He was refusing to walk, wiggling his jacket around. He was trying to make it look like he was Jesus doing the stations of the cross." Got to love New Orleans! 5 / 13/ 08 READER SUGGESTS JESUS/ SINGER COMPARISON & CONTRAST
REFORM BLOG NOT FUNNY! Why the Steve Singer model will sink the Public Defender System. 5/ 13/ 08
ETHICS OPINION LIMITS INTERIM CHIEF - Options for working in Indigent defense for the former Interim Chief Defender appear limited after an advisory opinion from the State Board of Governmental Ethics opines that the two year exclusion against contracting removes "Programs" from the list, but allows employment with a District Defender. 5/ 14/08
TWO SHERIFFS, TWO CLERKS, TWO SEPARATE COURTS: SHORTESS RULES VOTE NEEDED TO CHANGE NEW ORLEANS - A State law to create the 41st Judicial District and end the two separate court system that exists only in New Orleans must be submitted to popular vote before the bizarre world of the Orleans Parish dual court system can be updated. 5/ 13/ 08
JEFF DAVIS DA'S OFFICE LOGS $120,000 IN TRAVEL: AUDITORS THROW FLAG - Legislative Auditor finds blurry spending that may cross from "official" to "personal" in the D.A.'s budget in Jennings. 5/13/08
VERMONT SUPREMES OK NON-VIOLENT FELONS DNA SAMPLING - Finding no Constitutional Bar, Vermont has joined a number of States in affirming warrantless DNA sampling from felons. 5/9/08
"GOOD CANDIDATE" FOR ANGOLA OFFICER ARRESTED IN BRUTAL DOUBLE HOMICIDE - "He looked like a good candidate to us" said a spokesperson for the State Prison of Dominic Smith, who was half done with training to be a Prison Guard at the big farm. Smith has been arrested in the double murder of his former girlfriend and her son, and the attempted murder of a toddler Sunday in a Zachary Park. Shudder to think who was next in line for that job! 5/ 6/ 08
FIFTH CIRCUIT UPHOLDS JUDGE BRADY-JOEY KOON DEATH SENTENCE VACATED ON INEFFECTIVE COUNSEL GROUNDS - Hiring Mental Health expert day before trial, lack of investigation, affirmed in denial of relief to the Government. 5 / 6/ 08
ONEROUS DISCLOSURES TO BE REQUIRED OF 307 BOARD STARTING 2009 - R.S. 42:1124.2 includes the Public Defender Board members, apparently including ex officios, in onerous financial disclosures, including employment of the member and spouse, income amounts and financial relationships. Mortgages, compensation sources, and property ownership are included. Transfers to third parties are to be reported and cannot evade the disclosures. Income from non-profits must be disclosed. All this amounts to the "transparency" that Governor Jindal has mandated, and it means nearly every conceivable connection between a board member and any business or person will be "on the record"! Onerous might be too easy. This makes being a "Board Member" a kind of privacy nightmare. But it prevents anyone from back door profits and makes clear where one's interests lie. 5/ 6/08
DALLAS DA - "DISBAR PROSECUTORS WHO VIOLATE BRADY"! Things are not all "W" in Texas! Dallas County has seen an unusual number of exonerations, and the D.A. there says Prosecutors who withhold evidence should be punished! Now, that's "Law Enforcement"! 5 05 08
KENNER COPS NAB TEACHER SOLICITING KIDS (FROM WISCONSIN) - A Wisconsin school teacher sent nude pictures to a Kenner, Louisiana cop posing as a 15 year old girl. He will be prosecuted IN LOUISIANA. We don't have enough jail spending: now we are importing prosecutions from Wisconsin!! Way to go Kenner PD!! 4 29 08
REGISTER FOR DEATH BY TRIAL 2008 Death Penalty Qualification Seminar 7/ 18 and 7/19 at Paragon Hotel in Marksville. ROOM BLOCK LIMITED: RESERVE EARLY
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 - Links to Legislation and reform history, Power Point on new law, articles, final text, LIDAB actions and links to LIDAB Job Avails. Studies of Louisiana Indigent Defense. WHERE IT STARTED - link to article on 2004 Am Council of Chief Defenders New Orleans Meeting with LaPDA.
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