Here is the public defense news for Oct 15-21 2020:
Report:
Report from the Special Adviser on Equal Justice in the New York State Courts
National:
Dying inside: The hidden crisis in America’s jails
A state-by-state look at coronavirus in prisons
Kansas:
Kansas’ public defenders, already overburdened, adapt to pandemic
New Jersey:
Murphy signs bill to release thousands of NJ prisoners early beginning the day after Election Day
NJ public defender office, Cumberland County ready to argue inmate housing
Public defender’s order to show cause reveals warden Smith’s gross incompetence
California:
Santa Cruz County plans to reshape public defender office
“The numbers tell only half the story” – Narratives from San Quentin on COVID-19 data
Louisiana:
Louisiana public defenders ask skeptical Supreme Court to let them drop, refuse cases
New Orleans public defenders are mobilizing to “flip the bench”
A down-ballot revolution is brewing in New Orleans
Utah:
Pandemic has led to ‘upward trend’ in some cases assigned to Utah County public defenders
Delaware:
Backlog of jury trials could take months or more to resolve
Wisconsin:
There is a coronavirus outbreak among Waukesha County court staff and deputies, public defender says
Michigan:
Macomb names county public defender to ‘balance’ prosecutor’s power
Macomb County names new public defender to represent those who are indigent
Chief public defender delivers annual report (Livingston County)
Carey stepping down as indigent defense office head (Wexford-Missaukee)
Denise Lane becomes first social worker in Berrien County’s public defender’s office
New York:
Report reveals ‘long-simmering racial tensions’ in New York state courts
Ruth Boyer confirmed as Ulster County public defender by Legislature
New Mexico:
Judges get more flexibility on pretrial detention
Arizona:
Arizona Supreme Court hears case where man has been held 15 months in custody without bail hearing
Ohio:
Commissioners establish public defender office (Delaware County)
Virginia:
No more jury sentencing. General Assembly reshapes Virginia’s legal system.
Texas:
Bexar County DA, public defender, state lawmaker discuss justice reform
Oklahoma:
Federal public defender Patti Ghezzi retires after highly regarded career
A super-spreader jail keeps sparking COVID outbreaks across the US
Massachusetts:
Legal experts decry lack of minority, female judges in western Massachusetts
New Hampshire:
New Hampshire updates public access rules during pandemic
Tennessee:
Intern in public defender’s office fired after evidence leak in Joe Clyde Daniels case
Of Interest:
Judge allows prisoners to pursue stimulus checks
The real forgotten voter is sitting in jail
Opinion: Failures of grand jury process evident in Breonna Taylor case
The complicated role of Black leaders in shaping the criminal justice system