Statement in Opposition to Louisiana SB8

On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we write to voice our opposition to Senate Bill 8, a bill that would replace the multi-stakeholder Louisiana Public Defender Board with a state public defender selected by the Governor. If enacted, this legislation […]

Joint Letter to Congress on Federal Defender Funding

Joint letter relating to proposed budget cuts of federal Defender Services Even after implementing these emergency measures, the program faces a devastating shortfall: the House mark is $80.6 million less than the bare minimum of what the program needs, and […]

Statement on Right to Counsel in Guam

We write today not simply to lend our support for our colleagues in Guam, but to express outrage that a fellow member of the Bar would resort to fear mongering and hyperbole. Attorney General Moylan’s letter undermines public and political […]

Letter to U.S. House Judiciary Committee Requesting Supplemental Federal Funding for Coronavirus Response

“Responding to the public health emergency and ensuring the safety of the American people is rightly the primary focus of the federal government at this moment. We write to highlight the urgent need to protect the population that is among […]

Letter to US House Judiciary Committee on Public Defenders’ Response to Coronavirus

Responding to the public health emergency and ensuring the safety of the American people is rightly the primary focus of the federal government at this moment. We write to highlight the urgent need to protect the population that is among […]

Statement on Pretrial Risk Assessment Instruments

We recognize that in some instances RAIs can play an important role in helping jurisdictions to replace oppressive systems of wealth-based detention, while in other instances a fairer system of pretrial justice may be achieved without these instruments. We are […]

Joint Statement in Support of the Use of Pretrial Risk Assessment Instruments

Therefore, [we] strongly endorse and call for the use of validated pretrial risk assessment in all jurisdictions, as a necessary component of a fair pretrial release system that reduces unnecessary detention and eliminates racial bias, along with the following checks […]

Joint Letter to U.S. Attorney General Requesting Federal Investigation in Orange County, California

“We write to urge the Department of Justice to initiate an investigation into the actions of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (“OCSD”) and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (“OCDA”) in connection with the use of jailhouse informants and the […]