Cook County Public Defenders Blog

12 Responses to “Florida PD Action on Huge Caseloads”

1. mo Says:
   June 6th, 2008

   Louisville Courier-Journal (Kentucky) – Public Advocacy to cut legal services to poor – Deborah Yetter – (Wednesday, May 28, 2008) –
   Kentucky public defenders will begin refusing to represent some poor people charged with crimes starting July 1 as a result of budget cuts.

   Ernie Lewis, head of the state Department of Public Advocacy, detailed cuts in services he said his agency plans to make in a letter he sent Friday to judges throughout Kentucky.

   The budget lawmakers passed earlier this year will force the agency to leave vacant 30 to 40 lawyers’ positions, Lewis said in the letter, adding “I hope to avoid layoffs.”

2. Michelle Thomas Says:
   June 6th, 2008

   Thanks Mo, here’s more:

   Friday, June 06, 2008
   17 public defenders let go in Fulton and DeKalb counties
   By Greg Land, Staff Reporter
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   In what one local defense attorney has termed the “Friday Morning Massacre,” 21 staff members of the Metro Conflict Defender Office—including 17 attorneys—were notified that, effective June 30, they will no longer have jobs.

   Georgia Public Defender Standards Council Director Mack Crawford confirmed that the attorneys, who represent “conflict” defendants in DeKalb and Fulton County Superior Courts, as well as two juvenile court conflict defenders, have been notified that they will be terminated. He said he would release more details about the firings, and the plans to replace the staffers, later Friday.

   The affected lawyers represent defendants when the local public defender’s office is already representing another defendant in the same case, to avoid a conflict of interest.

   According to Stephen Bright of the Southern Center for Human Rights, the move is the latest in a series of troubling cost-cutting moves Crawford has made since being appointed to head the financially troubled council last year.

   “This is going to mean a lot of trouble for the courts, particularly the Fulton County Juvenile Court,” said Bright. “I don’t know how they plan to replace those lawyers.”

   “I would imagine a lot of judges will be furious,” he added.

   Bright, whose description hearkens back to the wholesale firings of two Nixon administration attorneys during the Watergate scandal, said he is greatly concerned that Crawford’s move, while saving costs in the short term, may hurt the program in the end.

   “It’s sad to say, but so much of what Crawford has done seems to be concerned with the bottom line. … I think a lot of it is counterproductive,” said Bright.

   Fulton County’s state court defenders are employees of the county and not under council authority, noted Bright.

   “They’re safely out of Crawford’s reach,” he said.

   Staff Reporter Greg Land can be reached at gland@alm.com

3. mo Says:
   June 6th, 2008

   Not to add to the depression, but:
   Minneapolis Star Tribune (Minnesota) – Minn. to lose 72 public defenders to budget cuts – (Thursday, June 5, 2008) –
   ST. PAUL (AP): Those accused of crimes in Minnesota will likely face longer waits for their day in court and parents trying to hang onto their children will stop getting free legal representation after the state Board of Public Defense voted Thursday to cut more than 15 percent of its lawyers.
   That translates into the equivalent of 72 full-time positions. The board said in a release that it faces a $3.8 million deficit after the Legislature cut $1.5 million from its budget to address a state shortfall.
   Public defenders represent the majority of defendants in Minnesota, including 85 percent of those accused of felonies and half of those accused of misdemeanors. The average public defender handles 714 cases a year, a number expected to top 800 after the job cuts take effect next month.

4. Michelle Thomas Says:
   June 7th, 2008

   The picture is truly depressing. It’s happening all over the country. Florida, Minnesota, Kentucky, New York, Georgia,….just to name a few! So for people who do what we do…the times are bad everywhere and picking up and moving jurisdictions doesn’t solve the problem or insulate one from layoffs.

   Staying put, getting organized & INVOLVED in your local union as well as local politics seems to be one of the best ways to fight for our clients, most of whom are locked up and cannot speak for themselves.

   One of the reasons that I keep sending my PD friends email updates on the national issue is so that they can’t start to PLAN NOW for what may happen down the road. We are about to go into another round of contract negotiations and it’s not likely to be pretty.

   I’ve already started my own layoff/strike fund and initiated other cost savings measures like biking to work, walking to work, doing one stop shopping at places like Costco, grilling outside 2 times a week for the entire weeks worth of dinners as opposed to eating out all the time.

   I figure that I need to be doing this for myself now, because if I don’t and if the worst happens, it’s going to be ME in the soup line…not Stroger.

   Michelle

5. Stephen Says:
   June 8th, 2008

   It is going to come down to striking vs. taking smaller COLAs than the last contract. I don’t think it will come down to standing in a soup line.

   It will be a tough fight. What are PDs in other jurisdictions getting for COLAs?

6. Michelle Thomas Says:
   June 8th, 2008

   I agree with you Steven if folks are prepared to strike. If not, they could find themselves in the soup line. I know plenty of PD’s who are living pay check to paycheck as it is and a strike would be devastating to them….especially the ones who are now commuting long distances to work and can’t even carpool cause nobody lives close enough to them.

   I just sent an email blast to other PD’s that I know in other jurisdictions to see what some of them are getting. If I get a sufficient response, I’ll post.

7. Bruce Mosbacher, Executive at Large Says:
   June 8th, 2008

   Thank you Michelle!

   Bruce

8. mo Says:
   June 9th, 2008

   COLA’s were eliminated my second year in Miami. 0%. Still is that way I think…

9. stephen Says:
   June 11th, 2008

   Michelle Thomas wrote: <<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>
   —————————-

   I hope people know that the county probably reads this blog. I don’t think we want to advertise that many PDs live paycheck to paycheck. Instead, we should be highlighting our resolve EVEN IF it means standing in the soup line, moving in together, sharing resources, deferring student loans, living off a strike fund etc…..

10. Michelle Thomas Says:
    June 11th, 2008

    Steven,

    With all due respect, I don’t think it’s any top secret that HUGE numbers of the entire country are living paycheck to paycheck. PD’s are NO exception to that rule. To incinuate that I’ve somehow given the county folks some sort of “insider information” is just rediculous!

    If you plan on sitting on your hands and waiting until the bottom falls out, more power to ya, but I don’t plan on doing that. That’s what has gotten so many folks in trouble as it is. Rather than being PRO-active and taking affirmative steps to minimize situations that they are highly likely to have to confront, they sit back and are forced into a RE-active posture.

    My message is pretty simple….do what you can do now, while it won’t put you in the poor house to prepare for the upcoming battle. That’s not rocket science, it’s kindergarden 101…..

    ok….off my soap box!!

11. stephen Says:
    June 12th, 2008

    Michelle:

    Poor house? Bottom falling out? Rocket science? Kindergarten 101?

    With all “due respect,” you seem a little hysterical.

    The difference between you and me is that I will be willing to stand in a soup line if it means getting justice for the union or our clients. Courage and strength equals justice.

    Stocking up a few cans of soup and grilling out is not going to get anyone through a long strike. Members will have to do much more radical things to make it through a long strike.

12. Michelle Thomas Says:
    June 13th, 2008

    Why does it suddenly feel like I’m trying to explain something to a client?

    Steven,

    Please feel free to ignore my posts….
    Just consider them as the big white elephant in the room that really isn’t there.

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