Louisiana's public defenders face financial burden with new juvenile prisoner law

"New hearings for five prisoners sentenced for murder as juveniles could be so expensive for the Jefferson Parish Public Defenders Office that the agency could end up laying off attorneys.

A state law that went into effect this year makes juveniles given life sentences eligible for parole after serving 25 years and meeting certain educational requirements. In extreme cases however, district attorneys can block access parole during a new sentencing hearing if the juvenile lifer is considered the "worst of the worst" and unable to be rehabilitated.

Experts have told Jefferson Parish public defenders that these new sentencing hearings for juveniles already in prison will cost the defense team more than $50,000 each on average. They require expert witnesses, psychiatric evaluations and extensive record searches.

"We simply don't have the money to fund the cases," said Paul Fleming, deputy district public defender in Jefferson Parish..."

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