January 22, 1997
Statement of Judy Clarke
President, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
On Settlement of Oklahoma Indigent Defense Funding Crisis
Washington, D.C.., Jan. 22, 1997 -- The nation's criminal justice lawyers want to commend today's last minute agreement ensuring supplemental funding to keep the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System from descending into chaos. Facing imminent insolvency due to increased caseloads and last year's arbitrary funding cuts, Governor Keating and the legislative leadership became convinced that letting the system crash and burn would only lead to case dismissals, prisoner releases and a cascade of lawsuits This eliminates any need to challenge the state's failure to abide by the U.S. Constitution's requirement -- recognized for over a third of a century -- that counsel be provided to Americans who cannot afford lawyers when the state seeks to deprive them of their lives or liberty. NACDL particularly commends Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Charles Chapel and Vice Presiding Judge Charles Johnson for their efforts, and patience, in facilitating the negotiations.
Judy Clarke is Executive Director of Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and
Idaho, the federal public defenders for the Northwest United States. NACDL is the
preeminent organization in the United States advancing the mission of the nation's criminal defense
lawyers to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime. A professional bar
association formed in 1958, NACDL's 9,000 direct members -- and 78 state and local affiliates with
another 28,000 members -- include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, judges and
law professors committed to preserving fairness within America's criminal justice system.
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)