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This loss of qualified public defenders, many of whom would have made this vital work their lifelong career if it was sustainable, is a threat to the people facing trial who deserve fair representation.

Instead of investing in improved services, schools, infrastructure, and community, heavily armed officers trained in paramilitary tactics are being moved into Black and brown, low-income neighborhoods.

“As public defenders, we see how our state’s reliance on predatory court fines and fees criminalizes poverty and extracts money from people who cannot afford it, creating a cycle of policing-for-profit that endangers lives. We urge the New York State legislature to pass the End Predatory Court Fees Act this session to end this unjust practice,” said Jacqueline Gosdigian, Senior Policy Counsel, Brooklyn Defender Services