Overburdened defense counsel is rule, not exception, in Louisiana  

Baton Rouge, LA (March, 8 2004) -- The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and the National Legal Aid & Defender Association will hold a press conference tomorrow to release a new report on the state of indigent defense. Copies of the report will be available at the news conference.

WHO: Speakers will include Sen. Lydia Jackson, report author David Carroll (NLADA), La. criminal defense lawyer Gary Proctor, John Wesley Hall, Jr. (NACDL Secretary and Chair, Ethics Advisory Committee), others TBA.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 9, 2:00 pm.

WHERE: Senate Briefing Room, State Capitol

A question and answer period will follow.

An advance copy of the report, embargoed until 2 p.m. Tuesday, may be downloaded for review. E-mail Mary Schmid, National Affairs Assistant, mary@nacdl.org for instructions and special user name and password. 

Contacts

NACDL Communications Department

The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is the preeminent organization advancing the mission of the criminal defense bar to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or wrongdoing. A professional bar association founded in 1958, NACDL's many thousands of direct members in 28 countries – and 90 state, provincial and local affiliate organizations totaling up to 40,000 attorneys – include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, military defense counsel, law professors and judges committed to preserving fairness and promoting a rational and humane criminal legal system.