BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The Public Defender’s Office is speaking out against the mayor’s budget proposal that would cut their funding by 38%.

Chief Public Defender Kyla Romanach said if the budget is cut by nearly half a million dollars, they won’t have enough lawyers to put in courtrooms, people could wait months to be assigned counsel, and public safety will be at risk.

The office is urging the Metro Council to vote ‘no’ and look for other options.

Delays already affecting defendants

When Tia Fields was arrested in 2021, she said she waited weeks to be assigned legal counsel.

“I know exactly what it feels like when the government starves public defense. You sit, you wait,” Fields said.

That wait is now at two and a half months. Romanach said if her office isn’t properly funded, i

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