New Orleans' court system collapsed under Katrina, but some saw hope for change
All Things Considered, By Ari Shapiro
With New Orleans under water, people incarcerated there were bused out to detention facilities across the South. Their records didn't go with them, massively complicating their legal cases.
SHAPIRO: In a functioning criminal justice system, public defenders should have been representing most of these thousands of people. Legal defense is a constitutional right. But nothing about the New Orleans criminal justice system was working the way it was supposed to.
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SHAPIRO: The immediate cause of the disaster was obvious - a swirling monster storm called Katrina. But there were deeper problems that made the situation much worse. Public defenders only worked part-time. They had to share computers and phone lines. The system was funded through traffic tickets. And lawyers didn't even meet their clients until their first court appearance, which could take place weeks or even months after someone was arrested.
To hear the full interview, visit NPR and All Things Considered.
