Louisiana public defenders: a lawyer with a pulse will do
In Louisiana, real estate and adoption attorneys and even prosecutors are filling the gaps left by an unreliable public defense funding program
Last fall, insurance attorney Ryan Goodwin found himself in a visiting area of the Caddo correctional center in Shreveport, Louisiana, bracing for an awkward conversation. He had to make an admission to his new client a 16-year-old who was facing life in prison for stealing someones wallet and cellphone at gunpoint.
I dont do criminal defense, he told the teenager, Norman Williams Jr. But I promise you, Ill definitely try my best.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/08/louisiana-public-defender-crisis