Public Defender

The FAIR Act seeks to establish a state public defenders office to ease equity gaps for under-resourced counties, cap caseloads and provide oversight and advocacy. Illinois is one of five states without such an office.

When Carla Barnes closed a black robe around her shoulders for the first time on Thursday, she marked history as the first Black judge in the 11th…

A New York Times report shed new light on overworked and underfunded public defenders. It found public defenders in Louisiana assigned 200, 300, or even…