NAPD Policy Statement on Independence (May 2020)
Professional and political independence must be structurally assured and actually honored for public defense programs to provide systematically meaningful representation
“NAPD calls upon its members and the legal profession to confront a threat to judicial independence wherever and whenever it manifests itself. Whenever genuine threats to judicial independence arise, whether in the form of an online petition to remove a judge for an unpopular decision or in the form of an intimidating threat from the podium on a campaign trail, the legal community, including public defenders, must call attention to the threat, educate the public and confront the threat individually and collectively.”
Related: NAPD issued a follow-up call to action regarding the independence of public defense leaders and programs in 2020.