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News and Events

Photo of the Louisiana State Capitol building

Louisiana Passes Public Defender Reform Act
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Katrina's Impact

Hurricane Katrina has created additional challenges for Louisiana's already floundering system of public defense, ultimately resulting in grave injustices against persons unable to afford a private attorney. Katrina's Impact

photo of Orleans Parish Prison after Katrina

Photo by: Seung Hong

Louisiana's System

map of Louisiana with district outlines

Louisiana is the only state in the country to attempt to fund the majority of indigent defense services through local revenue, largely from surcharges on traffic tickets and other court costs.

Louisiana's System by District

The Louisiana Justice Coalition (LJC) is a diverse group of community leaders and organizations committed to the reform of our indigent defense system. LJC has initiated a comprehensive public education campaign to highlight the crisis in Louisiana's indigent defense system and to raise community voices for change. The campaign focuses on ensuring fundamental fairness, sound fiscal policy and effective policies to ensure positive community welfare for all of our citizens.

LJC believes that the only way to achieve these objectives is to implement and adequately fund an indigent defense system that complies with the American Bar Association Ten Principles of a Public Defense Delivery System.