Caddo Public Defender, Others Replaced Amid Contract Turmoil

Caddo public defender, others replaced amid contract turmoil

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Five attorneys who run local public defender offices in Louisiana -- including Caddo Parish -- were replaced Tuesday even as the question of whether they have been rightfully dismissed remains unsettled.

Attorneys who run public defender offices replaced amid contract turmoil

Getty ImagesFive attorneys who run local public defender offices in Louisiana were replaced Tuesday even as the question of  whether they have been rightfully dismissed remains unsettled. The episode is the latest sign of turmoil in public defense since Gov. Jeff Landry and legislators reworked state laws to give Landry more control over its attorneys and finances. State Public Defender Rémy Starns, a Landry appointee, hired new local chief publ…

Lincoln County to examine creation of public defender’s office

CANTON, S.D. — South Dakota’s third-most populous county is preparing to discuss a big change in how indigent defendants get access to an attorney. On the agenda of the Lincoln County Commission on Tuesday, July 1, was an item to consider a motion regarding the establishment of a public defender’s office. The item was tabled until July 8 due to the absence of commission Chair Tiffani Landeen. The first red flag was raised in June 2023, when case…