New York State Defenders Justice Fund: The State Senate has a bill to create the Independent Public Defense Commission!

Monday, June 22, 2009

The State Senate has a bill to create the Independent Public Defense Commission!

The bill to create an Independent Public Defense Commission is now in the Senate – S.6002. Introduced by Senator Eric T. Schneiderman, the bill has been referred to the Senate Rules Committee. Cosponsors include Senators Hassell-Thompson, Sampson, Adams, Breslin, Foley, Huntley, Monserrate, Montgomery, Onorato, Oppenheimer, Parker, Perkins, Serrano, Stewart-Cousins, and Valesky. The bill is the same as A.8793.

We must push to get this bill passed this session. We don’t accept any media assumption that our reform is stalled indefinitely; as our Campaign Manager told The Capitol newspaper recently, we “don’t have time to be dejected… there are thousands of people waiting for this legislature to fix a system that is broken.” With supporters' help, we will pass the Independent Public Defense Commission bill soon.

PLEASE TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION!
Call:

Governor David Paterson - 518-474-8390 - and say that A.8793/S.6002 must pass in both houses of the Legislature NOW!

Speaker Sheldon Silver - 518-455-3791 - and say the Assembly should pass A.8793 NOW!

The following Senators and say the Senate should pass S.6002 NOW!
Senator John L. Sampson - 518-455-2788

Senator Dean G. Skelos – 518-455-3171

Senator Malcolm A. Smith – 518-455-2701

Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. – 518-455-3395

Also, please email or call and say thank you to Senator Schneiderman and the other Senators who have signed on to S.6002 so far.

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The Right to Counsel is Fundamental to Justice

The Campaign for an Independent Public Defense Commission is working to fix New York State's broken system of public defense. We represent a coalition of over 200 community organizations and faith communities state-wide.

The Problem: Huge caseloads, poor training, and severe lack of resources for public defenders leave poor and working-class people with dismal representation in court. This leads to wrongful convictions, over-sentencing, and wasted tax-payer dollars. The New York Civil Liberties Union has filed a class-action lawsuit against the State for violation of defendants' right to counsel.

The Solution: Describing the system as "an on-going crisis," former New York Chief Judge Judith Kaye called in 2006 for a politically independent public defense commission to administer these services statewide and ensure the rights of the accused are protected. Kaye's successor, Chief Judge Jonathan Lippmann, agrees with her recommendations, and dozens of prominent legislators, newspaper editorial boards and columnists, former judges, and concerned citizens have spoken out publicly in support of the Commission.

Action: Please contact the State leaders below and tell them, "It's time to fix New York's system of public defense. Please pass The Public Defense Act of 2009 -- S.6002/A.8793 -- this session!"

State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver: (518) 455-3791
Governor David Paterson: (518) 474-8390
Your local State Senator and Assemblyperson

Click here for their mailing and email addresses. Please write to them, and use your own stories and words to describe why public defense reform is so important to you. Please include a direct request that the leader do everything in their power to create the Independent Public Defense Commission this session.

Thank you for taking action. Together we're going to win this fight, and take a major step toward equal justice for all in New York State.

For more information, visit www.newyorkjusticefund.org.