public defenders Archives

23Jun 2023 by Charles E. Price

NYC Council urges Mayor Adams to increase funding for legal aid providers

A majority of the City Council has signed a letter calling on Mayor Eric Adams to add at least $195 million for legal service providers to next year's budget, warning that the city-supported lawyers face a “funding crisis.”The letter, carrying signatures from 26 of the Council's 51 members, said local right-to-counsel providers and public defenders need salary increases to ensure free legal services are available to millions of New Yorkers who rely on them.The letter arrived as the left-leaning Council and the moderate major haggled over the municipal budget for the council-revenue-projections-more-mayor-adams-estimates-20230522-xn44h47x75bi5cl5u5oxaguqmq-story.html" data-ylk="slk:2024 fiscal year;elm:context_link;itc:0" class="link ">2024 fiscal year. The deadline for the city to adopt the budget falls at the end of the month.Support for legal service providers is a top priority for Council negotiators, said Councilman Shaun Abreu,…

10Apr 2023 by Charles E. Price

The state is nearing settlement with ACLU over indigenous legal services

LEGAL

Maine's public defense agency for the poor and the ACLU are nearing a settlement on a plan to improve legal representation for criminal defendants, lawyers for both sides told the court Friday, though state budget decisions over the next few months may change the final outcome.Carol Garvan, legal director of the ACLU of Maine, and a lawyer for the state both said they are making progress on a multi-year agreement. Details of the proposed settlement are confidential. “We are well into the details of a settlement,” Assistant Attorney General Sean Magenis told the court Friday. Still unknown are the budget and statutory changes that state lawmakers could pass this year that may affect the settlement. Decisions such as to hire public defenders or adjust the mission of the Maine Commission…

25Mar 2023 by Charles E. Price

Public defenders, legal aid providers rally to demand fair funding in NYC’s 2024 budget

LEGAL

March 20, 2023, 9:10pmUpdated 4d agoPublic defenders and legal aid providers rallied at City Hall on Monday to demand fair funding in New York City's upcoming 2024 budget. The two groups say not enough funding is being allocated to support their numerous services that help residents. They add they're dealing with a humanitarian crisis on the job that continues to get worse each year. Several of the lawyers' claims of low pay, a high volume of cases and a lack of city funding are forcing many out of their chosen profession. “This must end, and it must end now,” added one attendee.Both groups are calling on the city for an investment of $300 million in the upcoming fiscal budget. Public defender Eugene Toussaint said he fears that the lack of…

21Mar 2023 by Charles E. Price

Public Defenders and legal service providers rallied for increased city funding

LEGAL

Nonprofit organizations providing legal services to low income New Yorkers rallied today at City Hall to call on the mayor to increase funding in the fiscal year 2024 budget. The Legal Aid Society, the Bronx Defenders, Neighborhood Defender Services, New York County Defender Services, Brooklyn Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem and many other organizations providing civil and family legal services are seeking a $125 million from the city for criminal defense and at least a $300 million boost to civil legal services. They're also looking for $80 million for family legal services, up from the current $50 million.“By underfunding public defenders, Governor (Kathy) Hochul and Mayor Adams are tipping the scales of justice, one already weighted against the Black and Brown people disproportionately represented in our criminal and…

12Feb 2023 by Charles E. Price

The National Legal Aid and Defender Association receives grants from the Walmart Foundation to support the Black Public Defender Association

LEGAL

WASHINGTON (Jan.30, 2023) —The National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) is excited to announce a multi-year grant from the Walmart Foundation to support the Black Public Defender Association (BPDA), a section of NLADA. The $500,000 grant through the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity will allow BPDA to advance racial equity by expanding its national network of Black public defenders and increasing its community engagement efforts. “We are a relatively new organization that has made huge strides in providing leadership pathways for Black defenders while simultaneously supporting future defenders,” said Alaina Bloodworth, BPDA's Interim Executive Director. “We could not be more thrilled about the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity's support of our ability to train and promote public defenders to serve as a catalyst for change in their communities.” BPDA's…

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