Justice Failing in Calcasieu Parish
Lawsuit Seeks Systemic Reform and Relief for Defendants Deprived of Constitutional Rights

Lake Charles, La. – A class action lawsuit filed in September, 2004 charges that deficiencies in the Calcasieu Parish public defense system are so extreme that indigent defendants are effectively being denied their right to counsel as guaranteed by the U.S. and Louisiana Constitutions.

“The state of Louisiana has continually failed to meet its constitutional obligation to adequately fund the state’s public defense system. We cannot begin to meet the legal needs of the more than 2,500 felony and 3,500 misdemeanor clients assigned to the office each year,” said Ron Ware, executive director of the Calcasieu Parish Public Defender’s Office.

“The attorneys in my office want nothing more than to provide their clients with the highest quality legal representation possible. We are doing the best we can with the resources we have, but we cannot keep our heads above water given our extremely heavy caseloads and woefully inadequate funding,” said Ware.

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Report:

Report Shows that Public Defenders in Calcasieu Parish have too many cases and too few resources.

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Public Defenders have too many cases
News on Calcasieu Indigent Defense:
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National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
1660 L St., NW, 12th Floor, Washington, DC 20036
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