Public Defender Lawsuit (2019)
Louisiana: The State We're In
Details
Collection:LPB
Genre: Newsmagazine
Place Covered: Louisiana
Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority
Date Issued: 2019-08-30
Duration: 00:08:12
Subjects: Southern Poverty Law Center | LAWSUITS | Public defenders | Criminal justice, Administration of
Contributors:
- Williams, Natasha Host
- Crews, Keith Editor
- Israel, Jacob Interviewee
- Johnson, Jamila Interviewee
- Bunton, Derwyn Interviewee
Description
This segment from the August 30, 2019, episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” features Natasha Williams’ report on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s class action lawsuit against Governor John Bel Edwards and the Louisiana Public Defender Board. Williams reports that the lawsuit alleges that the state’s underfunded public defender system fails to protect the rights of people who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. She interviews: Jacob Israel, a former indigent defendant; Jamila Johnson, an attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center; and Derwyn Bunton, the chief public defender in Orleans Parish. At the end of the report, Williams reads a statement from the Governor’s Office.