Public Defenders

Man who lied about assets to get free defense counsel is convicted of perjury in federal court

Already serving an almost 19-year federal prison sentence for possessing and transporting child pornography, a New York man was convicted of perjury last week in federal court in Syracuse. Prosecutors said Joseph Jenkins, 45, concealed $200,000 in investment accounts and his ownership of boats and recreational vehicles when applying for…

Apr 6, 2015 6:30 AM CDT

What is appropriate punishment for judge who punched assistant public defender?

Judge John Murphy apologized and took a month off from work to attend an anger-management class after punching an assistant public defender in the hallway outside his Florida courtroom last year. But was that enough punishment? The state Judicial Qualificiations Commission will soon start considering this question in the legal…

Mar 31, 2015 1:10 PM CDT

Sterilization of defendants in connection with plea deals is unacceptable, says DA

Pressuring a defendant in a criminal case to get sterilized is quite unusual. But it does happen, reports the Tennessean in a lengthy article about the case of one mentally ill woman in Nashville. In Jasmine Randers’ case, her public defender went to the Davidson County district attorney. The result…

Mar 30, 2015 2:40 PM CDT

Sheriff’s deputies forced inmates to perform ‘gladiator-style’ battles, says PD

San Francisco sheriff’s deputies have been accused of forcing county jail inmates to engage in “gladiator-style” fights for their own amusement. Public Defender Jeff Adachi, at a press conference Thursday, said deputies arranged and gambled on the fights, forced inmates to train for them and told them to lie if…

Mar 30, 2015 12:10 PM CDT

Winning app at Hackcess to Justice New Orleans helps clients preserve evidence

Ensuring that all Americans have sufficient access to justice has been one of the top priorities of the American Bar Association. One of the states with the largest gaps between the demand for legal services and the availability of adequate legal resources is Louisiana. According to the National Association of…

Mar 23, 2015 4:15 PM CDT

Judge holds 2 public defenders in contempt in dispute over representation of client

A Mississippi judge on Monday held the Hinds County public defender and an assistant in contempt in the latest salvo in an ongoing dispute over client representation. Circuit Judge Jeff Weill made the contempt finding and imposed $100 fines after the two refused to stand down from representing a client…

Mar 17, 2015 8:50 AM CDT

State AG is investigating prison searches of lawyers wearing underwire bras

The civil rights division of the Massachusetts attorney general’s office is investigating complaints that women lawyers who wear underwire bras have been targeted for humiliating searches at two Norfolk prisons. The probe was launched in response to a Feb. 24 complaint by appellate lawyer Patricia DeJuneas, who said she had…

Mar 16, 2015 9:45 AM CDT

California judge boots Orange County DA’s office from murder case because of withheld evidence

A California judge has booted the Orange County district attorney’s office from a high-profile multiple murder case, citing a “chronic failure” to turn over prosecution evidence to the defense. Scott Dekraai last year pleaded guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder in the 2011 slayings of his wife and seven…

Mar 12, 2015 3:50 PM CDT

PD’s office asks state’s top court to tell judge not to transfer cases to private counsel

A Mississippi judge and the local public defender’s office are battling to determine whether the jurist should be recused or an assistant PD will have to step aside in a relationship that has clearly become contentious. Contending that Alison Kelly has acted unprofessionally, Hinds County Circuit Judge Jeff Weill said…

Mar 3, 2015 12:40 PM CST

Defense lawyers ask judge to OK seat upgrade for Africa trip; federal prosecutors are flying coach

Federal prosecutors are protesting a request by three defense lawyers to fly business class, rather than coach, in a planned trip to Africa to depose a prisoner for a terrorism case. The feds are paying for the trip by lawyers for Ali Yasin Ahmed, Madhi Hashi and Mohammed Yusuf, and…

Feb 9, 2015 11:10 AM CST

Furloughed for lawyer meeting, alleged art scammer escapes from custody

A California inmate awaiting trial on a mail fraud charge escaped from custody last Thursday during a furlough arranged for a meeting with his lawyer. The inmate, Luke Brugnara, 51, is accused of agreeing to pay about $11 million for several artworks, then refusing to pay after he accepted delivery.…

Feb 9, 2015 10:43 AM CST

Assistant public defender handcuffed in court hallway files complaint against police officers

A veteran assistant San Francisco public defender has filed a citizen complaint against the six city police officers involved in her arrest last month in a courthouse hallway. Although the criminal case was dropped and the police chief apologized, Jami Tillotson said she wasn’t completely satisfied with this resolution, reports…

Feb 6, 2015 4:05 PM CST

Case dropped against PD handcuffed in court hall on viral video; ACLU calls for policy review

A resisting case will not be pursued against a veteran assistant San Francisco public defender who was handcuffed in a court hallway last month and taken away after she objected to a plainclothes police plan to photograph her client there. The incident was filmed by fellow attorneys in a now-viral…

Feb 5, 2015 2:30 PM CST

Two lawyers resign from Bronx Defenders after appearance in video advocating cop-killing

Two lawyers with the legal-aid group Bronx Defenders have resigned after their appearance in a controversial “Hands Up” rap video advocating the killing of police officers. The board chairman of the Bronx Defenders told New York City officials about the resignations of Ryan Napoli and Kumar Rao in a letter…

Feb 5, 2015 12:03 PM CST

Defendant blurts out murder confession in court and asks for execution

A man accused of killing two California sheriff’s deputies blurted out a confession during a status hearing in his case on Wednesday and asked for execution. The defendant, Luis Enriquez Monroy Bracamontes, was “clearly animated” and “appeared almost jocular” as he smiled at journalists in the Sacramento, California, courtroom and…

Feb 5, 2015 10:33 AM CST