Public Defender warns proposed cuts will force layoffs, undermine right to counsel

The head of the Office of the Public Defender told the Metro Council that the mayor’s proposed budget would cut local contribution to the office to roughly $855,380, a reduction the presenter said would be a 38% local cut compared with the prior year after Entergy funds are excluded.

The public defender explained the office receives three main funding sources: the District Assistance Fund (state allocation), conviction and user fees, and local funding from the Metro Council. The presenter said the office currently covers roughly 85–88% of people who come through the criminal legal system in the parish, staffs dozens of attorneys across city, juvenile and district courts, and depends on investigators, social workers and administrative staff to fulfill constitutional duties.

The public defender said the office has already notified seven staff — the only social worker and six investigators — that their positions would be eliminated as of January 1 under the proposed cuts. The presenter described three bleak alternatives if local funding is not restored: (1) stop funding conflict counsel (forcing unpaid or pro bono defense by private firms), (2) leave some courtrooms unstaffed by public defenders, or (3) staff every courtroom but cap the number of cases the office will accept — each option, they warned, risks litigation for failure to provide counsel.

Why it matters: the presenter said cuts will not only slow court operations but also likely increase constitutional litigation and cause practical harms such as lost continuity of representation, reduced screening for diversion and treatment, and higher long‑term costs.

What’s next: council members expressed support and asked the presenter for details on the positions cut; members pledged to consider the OPD’s needs during budget deliberations.