WASHINGTON, DC, March 10, 2004 — The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) announces the release of a new study that assesses the state of Louisiana's criminal justice system, entitled In Defense of Public Access to Justice: An Assessment of Trial-Level Indigent Defense Services in Louisiana 40 Years After Gideon. Commissioned by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), NLADA researched and wrote the study to document how Louisiana's indigent defense system falls woefully short in ensuring justice to its low-income population. The study takes a micro look at Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, as well as funding across the state.

During a joint press conference yesterday, NLADA and NACDL disclosed the results of the report and condemned Louisiana's indigent defense system. Speaking in support of the NACDL and NLADA study were Louisiana State Senator Lydia Jackson; criminal defense lawyer Gary Proctor; John Wesley, Jr., NACDL Secretary and Chair of the Ethics Advisory Committee; and David Carroll, NLADA director of research and evaluation, and author of the report.

"It's not simply the money but also the structure of the indigent system," said David Carroll of NLADA. "In direct violation of the state and federal constitutions, Louisiana government (both state and local) has constructed a disparate system that fosters systemic ineffective assistance of counsel."

"The two major problems - lack of money and influence and too much local political interference - means there is not enough oversight training or supervision of those who provide free legal representation. When combined with the crushing caseloads public defenders are forced to carry, these factors prevent the state from securing justice for all."

To review the complete study, visit the NLADA Web site at www.nlada.org/Defender/Defender_Evaluation/la_evaluation. Or, to discuss the results of the study, contact David Carroll at (202) 452-0620, ext. 233.

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The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA), founded in 1911, is the oldest and largest national, nonprofit membership organization devoting all of its resources to advocating equal access to justice for all Americans. NLADA champions effective legal assistance for people who cannot afford counsel, serves as a collective voice for both civil legal services and public defense services throughout the nation and provides a wide range of services and benefits to its individual and organizational members.