Ms. Blume Won’t Be the Last

When I first read the headline that Taryn Blume’s case had been dismissed, I felt relief and joy. Relief that Ms. Blume would be spared an unjustifiable prosecution and joy knowing that the DA, after two years, had finally made […]

Who Tells Our Clients Stories?

At the end of the smash hit musical, “Hamilton,” George Washington warns, “Let me tell you what I’d wish I’d known, when I was young and dreamed of glory. You have no control: Who lives, Who dies, Who tells your […]

Public Defender Vows to Keep Fighting for Universal Representation

This blog is reprinted from the San Francisco Public Defender's Office press release on 12/15/16. San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi vowed to keep fighting for due process for immigrants in detention after the mayor struck a deal that fell […]

Stand with Taryn, Stand for Justice

Two years ago an investigator named Taryn Blume for the Orleans Public Defenders was indicted for impersonating a peace officer. Next week, this case goes to trial.   The facts are as follows: In the course of representation of a […]

For the Children

Okay, it is fair to say that 2016 has been, well . . . let’s just say tumultuous.  It has had some ups and downs – big downs.  But good things come to those who wait.  The Ohio Supreme Court […]

TIDC Releases Studies on Caseloads

The Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) just released caseload studies for representation in juvenile<http://www.tidc.texas.gov/media/50834/161108_wcl-juvenile.pdf> and appellate<http://www.tidc.texas.gov/media/50833/161108_wcl-appellate.pdf> cases. These are addendums to the 2015 publication of "Guidelines for Indigent Defense Caseloads<http://www.tidc.texas.gov/resources/publications/reports/special-reports/weightedcaseloadstudy.aspx>" for adult felony and misdemeanor cases. The studies were a […]

Heroic Work to Prevent Missouri Execution

This week the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals set the briefing for review of a federal district court’s arbitrary denial of funding that has resulted in deprivation of meaningful assistance of counsel for a mentally impaired death row inmate. NAPD’s […]

Listen to the Second Season of Serial

Like many people, I listened intently to the first season of the Serial podcast, and its story of the murder of Hae Min Lee and the subsequent prosecution (and defense) of her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed. The series took the digital […]

Race Judicata

The NC Public Defender Commission on Racial Equity (NC PDCORE) is a committee of the North Carolina Public Defender Association. The mission of NC PDCORE is to reduce and ultimately eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system […]

Welcome to Public Defense

©2016 by the American Bar Association.  Reprinted with permission.  All rights reserved.  This information or any or portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval […]