DBunton

This is a difficult question. It boils down to political will. However, it's fueled, I think, by a sense among decision makers that the criminal justice system only affects the poor and people of color. This is a constituency sometimes ignored. But momentum for reform grows as people realize our criminal justice system has grown into something affecting the lives of all our communities.

The statewide crisis was forecast years ago by the Louisiana Public Defender Board. It came to a head in our office in 2012. Ever since, we've been trying to adapt to ever-shrinking budgets for our office while the budgets of other criminal justice agencies continued to grow. The disparities are now unconscionable and we can no longer constitutionally or ethically adapt. So we have to decline cases.

The Orleans DA has approximately 90 attorneys, and 6 of the DA's attorneys have salaries higher than mine as Chief. They have 30 investigators; OPD has 8.

The disparities are stark: https://twitter.com/Dbunton44/status/718556366621663233

It's not a distraction, but it does require attention and work. I look at the lawsuit as an opportunity to implement solutions and make the right to a lawyer accessible and meaningful in Louisiana. No one likes to be sued but this lawsuit provides a potential vehicle for relief.

Court responses vary. However, I have yet to see the Sheriff threatened with contempt the way our lawyers are.