In Louisiana, where 85% of people accused of a crime can’t afford a lawyer, defendants regularly languish in jail for months or even years — because the public defense system responsible for providing their attorneys is broken.
In 2016, Louisiana’s public defenders were so backlogged that 79% of them stopped even accepting new cases. 
We filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of poor Louisianans who the state fails to provide with adequate public defenders. splcenter.org/sites/default/…
Today, a Louisiana court certified our class action lawsuit challenging the constitutionality and funding structure of Louisiana’s overburdened public defender system.
splcenter.org/news/2018/08/2…
splcenter.org/news/2018/08/2…
“For decades, the state has allowed the public defense system to be underfunded and unmonitored. This statewide problem demands a statewide solution.” — Lisa Graybill, SPLC Deputy Legal Director.
splcenter.org/seeking-justic…
splcenter.org/seeking-justic…
The Louisiana Public Defender Board agrees. They wrote: “Public defenders in Louisiana cannot possibly provide constitutionally adequate representation w/ workloads of this magnitude + it is the poor of this state who suffer for it.” lpdb.la.gov/Serving%20The%…
We are set to go to trial in January 2019.
