Category: Featured

Full Video: MLK Day Shop Talk!

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Watch the Full Video of our MLK Day Shop Talk event!

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MLK Day Shop Talk Workshops & Highlights:

  • Criminal Record Expungement Information Provided by the Defender Association
  • “School Discipline 101 for Students and Parents” Presented by Ashli Giles-Perkins, Esq., Education Law Center-PA
  • “Critical Race Theory for Students” Presented by Shyann V. Gales-Poland, Esq.
  • “Collective Resistance Through Hip Hop” Presented by Michael Coard, Esq. Nat Turner Law School

ALSO: Our partners, Victoria’s Kitchen and Sicklerville Soul provided FREE meals for Shop Talk attendees!

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Sarah Allen Named First Assistant Defender

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Sarah Allen Named First Assistant Defender

PHILADELPHIA–The Defender Association today announced that Sarah Allen will be the new First Assistant Defender. Allen, a 23-year veteran of the Defender Association, is currently the Chief of the Municipal Court Pre-trial unit and is responsible for supervising all misdemeanor cases pre-trial. 

“On behalf of the Board I want to congratulate both Keisha Hudson on her selection and Sarah Allen for being selected as First Assistant,” said Defender Board President Paul Hetznecker, “Sarah Allen is an excellent choice for the role. Ms. Hudson’s decision to select Ms. Allen, a career Defender, is recognition that a careerlong, passionate commitment to the Defender mission is essential to continuing on the path to real criminal justice reform.” 

Sarah Allen will be replacing Alan Tauber, who will remain with the Defender until January to assist with the leadership transition. “When our justice system all but shut down at the beginning of the pandemic, Sarah spearheaded our efforts to secure emergency releases for more than 1,000 incarcerated people,” said Tauber, “Her ability to execute this huge, critical program is indicative of the professionalism, leadership, innovation and commitment she will bring to her role as First Assistant Defender.” 

Chief Defender Keisha Hudson, who officially started in her new role on November 30, said she was “thrilled” to work with Ms. Allen, citing her impeccable reputation as an attorney, a leader, a collaborator, and a visionary. “I am incredibly honored to work with her,” said Hudson. 

“I am extremely honored and proud to be selected to be the First Assistant,” Allen said, “We are facing extremely challenging times and Keisha [Hudson] has assembled a team that is ready to face these challenges and move the Defender forward.” 

Sarah Allen steps into her new role on Monday, December 6, 2021.

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Keisha Hudson Named Chief Defender

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]PHILADELPHIA--The Board of Directors of the Defender Association of Philadelphia is proud to announce the selection of Keisha Hudson as the new Chief Defender. 

“The Board’s decision to select Ms. Hudson followed an extensive national search,” said Defender Board President Paul Hetznecker, “With a proven record of collaborative leadership, public defender experience, and an extraordinary commitment to racial justice and criminal justice reform, Ms. Hudson is uniquely positioned to lead the Defender Association into the future.”  

Keisha Hudson spent nearly eighteen years as a public defender, first with the Defender Association of Philadelphia and then as a capital appellate defender with the Federal Defender-Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Capital Habeas Unit) representing people on death row in their state post-conviction and federal habeas appeals. As a seasoned trial and appellate defender, Ms. Hudson has an in-depth understanding of what it means to be a public defender. At the Capital Habeas Unit, Ms. Hudson was the Director of Training.  

In 2016, Ms. Hudson left the Federal Defender and joined the Montgomery County Office of the Public Defender Officer to become the Deputy Chief Defender. Ms. Hudson joined the Montgomery County Office of the Public Defender with the goal of building and strengthening advocacy in the courtroom. Along with former Chief Defender Dean Beer, Ms. Hudson addressed systemic issues regarding policing, pretrial detention, sentencing, and probation in the county. In four years, Chief Defender Dean Beer and Ms. Hudson built one of the best public defender offices in the state.

Last year, Ms. Hudson worked with The Justice Collaborative and The Appeal, developing and leading advocacy and media campaigns on criminal justice issues- specifically campaigns aimed at looking at creative and successful community alternatives that truly create public safety. From 2020 to the present Ms. Hudson has been a visiting professor at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law. 

“The Defender Association is where my public defense career began,” said Ms. Hudson, “I am honored to have this opportunity to work with an incredible staff and the larger Philadelphia community in continuing the organization’s excellence in zealous advocacy and in pushing for much-needed changes to our criminal justice system.”

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Defender Files Amicus Brief: Scott v. PA Board of Probation & Parole

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The Defender Association of Philadelphia has filed an amicus brief in support of the plaintiff in Scott v. PA Board of Probation and Parole. The lawsuit, filed in July 2020 by the Abolitionist Law Center, Amistad Law Project, and the Center for Constitutional Rights, is the first case of its kind in the country. It argues that mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole for those who did not kill or intend to kill do not serve any legitimate governmental interest and are illegally cruel under the Pennsylvania Constitution.

The suit was brought by six people serving mandatory life without parole (LWOP). The six individuals are serving LWOP and are denied the possibility for parole due to their convictions for felony murder, even though they themselves did not kill anyone or intend to kill anyone.

The felony murder rule, which exists in forty-four states, holds a person liable for murder if the person participates in a felony that leads to a death, even if the person plays no direct role in the death or does not intend or anticipate it. In Pennsylvania, people found guilty are automatically sentenced to life, and a separate provision of state law prohibits parole eligibility for anyone serving life.

The Defender Association’s amicus brief highlights how paroled juvenile lifers, released after the U.S. Supreme Court decisions held their incarcerations to be unconstitutional, are positively contributing to the community. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will now decide if the lawsuit may proceed.

Read the Defender’s Amicus Brief here.

Additional Info:

After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to sentence youth to mandatory life without parole, 541 individuals serving juvenile LWOP became entitled to a new sentencing hearing, with Philadelphia  having the largest group of children (325) serving mandatory LWOP. The Defender devised a three-year plan, worked side by side with court administration, City Council, the DA’s Office, and numerous legal organizations and private firms across the region. The Defender represented 75 percent of Philadelphia’s cases and trained and supported pro bono counsel to handle the remaining 25 percent. Across the Commonwealth to date, 469 former children sentenced to LWOP have been resentenced and 248 released.

 

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Alan Tauber on Worsening Conditions in Philly’s Jails

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PHILADELPHIA–“The Defender Association of Philadelphia stands with the families of the incarcerated, prison employees, activists and concerned community members in decrying the continued deterioration of conditions in our city’s jails.

“The unsafe conditions are the direct result of personnel shortages exacerbated by the pandemic. The only way to increase the safety for the incarcerated and take some of the pressure off prison employees is to safely reduce the prison population.

“To that end, we’ve been working closely with our justice system partners to create a new court program involving pretrial release. We’ve made significant progress, and hope to implement this program soon. Our office continues to work to secure release for individual clients. Anyone who has a loved one who is incarcerated should reach out to our office and speak with an attorney so we can present the best argument possible on their behalf.

“In the meantime, we need to move with a sense of urgency to not only address the health and safety hazards created by prison overcrowding, but also protect the health and wellbeing of the people and communities we serve. This means working  closely with community leaders–particularly from those neighborhoods most impacted by both community violence and incarceration–to find solutions to the root causes of crime.

“We must also continue to build on established partnerships between criminal justice system stakeholders, activists, and advocates to explore community-driven alternatives to detention that promote equity and safety. This includes ensuring people who can be safely released from the jail have access to safe and affordable housing.

“Our work to reunify people with families and communities as we improve conditions in our jails must go hand-in-hand with programs and initiatives that provide brighter futures for the incarcerated and the neighborhoods they return to.”

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Alan Tauber on Passage of “Driving Equality” Bill

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City Council passed the “Driving Equality” bill, which  aims to reduce the vast racial disparity in motor vehicle stops by police

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PHILADELPHIA–“The Defender Association of Philadelphia applauds City Council for passing  the groundbreaking and data-driven ‘Driving Equality’ legislation. Councilmember Isaiah Thomas’s bill, which aims to reduce the vast racial disparities in motor vehicle stops by police, is a great first step to building more trust between our police and communities of color. Moreover, it is a bill that will allow law enforcement to divert more resources toward matters that directly impact public safety. 

“The Defender is honored to have had the opportunity to work closely with Councilmember Thomas, and other justice system stakeholders to help shape elements of this bill. We also thank Councilmembers Kenyatta Johnson, Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Jamie Gauthier, Kendra Brooks, Maria Quiñones Sánchez, Cherrelle Parker, Curtis Jones and Allan Domb for their leadership in advancing such a pivotal piece of legislation.

“We’re hopeful that passage of the ‘Driving Equality’ bill is just the beginning of informed and meaningful conversations about positive changes to our justice system that will benefit all Philadelphians.” 

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Alan Tauber on Philly Prison Conditions

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PHILADELPHIA–“The incidents occurring behind our prison walls are tragic and  unacceptable, but unfortunately, not surprising.

“For over a year, the Defender has been outspoken about the need to address conditions in Philly’s prisons. Since last summer, the  population has swelled by 20 percent which has not been matched with needed staff. As a result, health and safety conditions continue to decline for detainees and prison employees alike. We simply must act with more urgency to come up with solutions to alleviate these problems.

“We have proven that the population can be safely and responsibly lowered to below 4,000. The release program we instituted last year led to millions in savings for the city, the closure of a county jail, and the availability of extra correctional officers at the remaining facilities. We need to return to this initiative immediately.”

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Restorative Response Days

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TAKE PART IN OUR RESTORATIVE RESPONSE DAYS! 

During Restorative Response Days, you can complete your 8 hours within one or two days with one of our trusted community partners!

Scroll the list below or click here to download a printable list of community partners who are looking forward to working with you!

Questions? Email Kavita Goyal: kgoyal@philadefender.org

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][dt_button link=”https://phillydefenders.org/rr” target_blank=”true” button_alignment=”center” size=”big”]CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON THE RESTORATIVE RESPONSE PROGRAM[/dt_button][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]JTNDY2VudGVyJTNFJTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZkb2NzLmdvb2dsZS5jb20lMkZkb2N1bWVudCUyRmQlMkZlJTJGMlBBQ1gtMXZTQUlmckVyY2t1dGppel84MEhDbjZtRUR5a3IxZ21sR1BnTXVhN3FabEc3Zm5wcE8xbVFQcE9WU0lLNjluclg5Y0MzWGRsM0tuSmxueUQlMkZwdWIlM0ZlbWJlZGRlZCUzRHRydWUlMjIlMjB3aWR0aCUzRCUyMjEwMDAlMjIlMjBoZWlnaHQlM0QlMjIxNDAwJTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGaWZyYW1lJTNFJTNDJTJGY2VudGVyJTNF[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Acting Chief Defender Alan Tauber on Derek Chauvin Murder Trial Verdict

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PHILADELPHIA–“There are numerous lessons to be drawn from the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, not the least of which is the need to enact reforms that greatly reduce unnecessary, often deadly interactions between the police and people of color.
 
“As public defenders that primarily serve Black and Brown communities, we see many of our clients needlessly confronted and detained by police officers for minor offenses that aren’t considered criminal when they occur in white neighborhoods. Further damage is inflicted by a justice system that is too quick to accept the testimony of police officers and repeatedly fails to hold police officers to a higher level of accountability to communities.
 
“Justice can’t be served unless we closely evaluate and rethink the role of police in public safety, and work alongside community members to develop and implement fair and effective justice system practices that ensure equal treatment for every citizen.” 
 
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