Justice for all Californians
Everyone deserves a real defense.
California’s justice system is failing our most vulnerable communities.
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One of the main culprits is the state’s lack of investment in public defense. In the absence of state funding, California’s counties have created a patchwork of 58 different, county-based public defense systems.
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Not only are those systems different, they are unequal. Many counties do not have public defender offices at all and instead rely on private attorneys whose lack of resources often leads to less zealous lawyering and higher incarceration rates.
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Compounding the problem, California has no standards for attorneys to ensure constitutional representation.
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And, on top of it all, the state does not collect data about how the various systems are performing.
The net result? Our public defense attorneys struggle to manage staggering caseloads with far too few resources and very little guidance.
When we underinvest in public defense, we shortchange justice and make California less safe.
California is 1 of only 2 states that provides no statewide funding or standards for trial-level public defense.
That doesn’t add up to a justice system that is fair and, well, just.
California spends about 70-80% more on prosecution than defense.
70-80%
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Our Goal
Our mission is to improve the quality of public defense in California.
To do so, we advocate for a meaningful investment in the California public defense system, from both the counties and the state.
We believe that a robust defense system is critical to a healthy democracy.
A Few Things We are Working On:
Abolishing Flat Fees
Flat fees force defense attorneys to choose between zealous representation and making a profit. We are working to change that.
Forging Public Defender-Community Partnerships
People are more than their criminal cases. We are working to encourage defense attorneys and community advocates to collaborate so that they can best address their clients' complex needs.