BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - State lawmakers advanced legislation that could address staffing shortages in East Baton Rouge Parish's justice system as officials warned of mounting case backlogs.
State Rep. C. Denise Marcelle is leading a bill that would require the East Baton Rouge City/Parish to fund the public defender's office. The measure advanced and is headed to the House.
"This just really tries to steady the system and ensure that where there's a prosecution, there's also going to be a defense," said Kyla Romanach.
Public defender funding
Eighty-five percent of cases that go through the 19th Judicial District Court require a public defender. Marcelle said the bill would not solve the funding crisis but would provide stability.
"I don't think this bill would put them where they need to be, I just think it would make the city put forth their best effort to fund that office and that's why there's no dollar amount in the bill because I don't wanna mandate them to do something that's not within their budget but I do want them to know that it has to be funded," Marcelle said.
District attorney positions
Several district attorneys met with lawmakers about filing a bill that would allow their offices to hire more attorneys.
Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore plans to ask lawmakers to approve 25 more assistant district attorney positions and the salaries that go along with them.
"Public safety is being compromised at this point in Baton Rouge because of the lack of assistant DAs," Moore said.
Moore told the group his office has lost 36 employees in the last year and a half to higher-paying jobs with fewer cases.
"The biggest issue, however, is the caseload; when you look at 20 versus 444, it's hard to compete with that, that's the biggest thing," Moore said.
Moore said the 19th Judicial District has never struggled as bad as it is now. He said the lack of funding causes backlogs and decreases public safety.
"We are absolutely dying and drowning in East Baton Rouge Parish in cases, and it's both on the DA's side, and the public defenders' side, and our backlog just continues and continues, and it's the victims that are suffering the most," Moore said in committee.
"When you take your foot off the pedal, they know exactly what they can get away with, and when things are delayed, they know exactly what they can do, and that's what's happening, and I think that if we're able to staff up those positions, that you'll see a complete difference in Baton Rouge," Moore said.
The meeting ended with a clear path forward to file legislation, but any changes still have to move through the Legislature before money and new positions are finalized.