RS 154 - Deputy public defender-director of juvenile defender services; qualifications; duties
A. The board shall employ a deputy public defender who shall act as the director of juvenile defender services and shall meet the following qualifications:
(1) Meet the qualifications provided for in R.S. 15:150(B).
(2) Be an attorney licensed to practice law in the United States with at least five years of experience as a criminal defense attorney or in juvenile law and if licensed as an attorney in a state other than Louisiana, become licensed as an attorney in this state within one year of being employed by the board.
B. The director of juvenile defender services shall:
(1) Assist the state public defender in working with criminal justice stakeholders, including judges, district attorneys, sheriffs, probation officers, and law enforcement officials to promote sound juvenile justice policies in relation to fair adjudication processes, and placement and treatment of juveniles charged in delinquency proceedings that focus on rehabilitation of the offender.
(2) Promote positive change in educational opportunities and mental health services and other treatment services for juveniles in the court system.
(3) Ensure that board policies and public pronouncements properly recognize that children and young adults do not possess the same cognitive, emotional, decisionmaking, or behavioral capacities as adults and, as such, require that special attention be given to the representation of juveniles to ensure uniformly competent representation.
(4) Perform all other duties assigned by the state public defender or the board.
Acts 2007, No. 307, §1; Acts 2013, No. 175, §1, eff. June 7, 2013.