Louisiana’s Budget Crisis Spells Doomsday For Justice In New Orleans

Thanks to years of tax breaks for the wealthy and corporate kickbacks under former Gov. Bobby Jindal’s leadership, Louisiana is on the brink of economic collapse. If the state can’t find billions of dollars in revenue by Wednesday night, many basic services will be slashed into oblivion — including hospitals, universities, and resources to combat child abuse.

 For a criminal justice system that’s already under-resourced and underfunded, the Doomsday scenario will also decimate indigent defense in the state. Public defenders are bracing for a 63 percent cut to their funding — meaning the 42 judicial districts will be given a paltry $12 million or so to operate. Offices across the state have already shut their doors, leaving Louisiana’s poor without constitutionally-mandated legal representation.

 In Louisiana’s largest city, an overburdened defense system is expected to get much worse...
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016/03/09/3757685/new-orleans-public-defense-crisis/