The Bench & Bar magazine is published to provide members of the KBA with information that will increase their knowledge of the law, improve the practice of law, and assist in improving the quality of legal services for the citizenry.
Issue link: https://kentuckybenchandbar.epubxp.com/i/382597
33 B&B; • 9.14 Public defenders statewide gathered on June 17 to recognize indi- viduals advancing the right to counsel and protections for persons facing a loss of liberty. Presentations of the awards were made dur- ing the 2014 Kentucky Public Defender's Recognition Lunch at the METS Center in Erlanger. KY PUBLIC DEFENDERS RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS ADVANCING PROTECTIONS FOR CITIZENS AND THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL THIRD ANNUAL FORUM ON CRIMINAL LAW REFORM IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY, NOVEMBER 7 The KBA Criminal Law Section and the University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law are sponsoring the Third Annual Forum on Criminal Law Reform in the Commonwealth of Kentucky on Friday, November 7. The forum will be held from 11:45 a.m.-5:00 p.m. in the Allen Court Room at the law school in Louisville. The CLE program has been accredited for 3.50 CLE credits in Kentucky. Admission to the forum is free, but space is limited. Registrations will be accepted on a first come, first served basis until the seminar capacity is reached. The registration deadline is Friday, October 31. A registration form with the full agenda is available on the Criminal Law Section's webpage at www.kybar.org/357. Pictured above from left to right are Public Advocate Ed Monahan , who presented the Public Advocate Award for passage of SB 200 ju- venile reform to state Rep. John Tilley of Hopkinsville and state Sen. Whitney Westerfield , also of Hopkinsville (not pictured); the Public Advocate Award to state Rep. Brent Yonts of Greenville for passage of a KRS Chapter 31 public defender measure; and the Rosa Parks Award to Charolette Brooks of Lexington for her "courageous capi- tal investigation work," according to the DPA release. KBA President William Johnson (not pictured) presented Amy Staples of Frankfort with the Professionalism and Excellence Award. Additionally, Mona- han presented the Gideon Award to Emily Rhorer of Frankfort for her litigation advocacy; the In Re Gault Award to Elizabeth McMa- hon of Louisville for her juvenile advocacy; and the Anthony Lewis Media Award to KET's Renee Shaw of Lexington and PBS' Dan Edge (not pictured) for enlightening the public and policy makers on criminal justice issues through the KET program "Prison State: A Kentucky Community Conversation" and the PBS Frontline series program "Prison State." Not pictured: Jim Gibson of Prospect, who received the Furman Award for his capital advocacy. The Department of Public Advocacy depends on many lawyers in private practice to provide conflict representation at rates that are in- adequate. DPA contracted with 175 attorneys for 3,858 cases in FY 13 at an average of $385 per case. Most were felony cases. For their selfless conflict representation of indigent clients, Public Advocate Awards were presented (below) by Public Advocate Ed Monahan (far right) to, from left to right, conflict lawyers Rebecca Murrell, Car- los Moran, Jim Cox, Larry Simon, Brent Cox, James R. Hampton ; and, front row, to KBA President Thomas L. Rouse for his support of increasing funding for lawyers doing conflict contract work for the Department of Public Advocacy. "The right to counsel stands above all other constitutional protections," Monahan said. According to U.S. v. Cronic, 466 U.S. 648, 654 (1984): "Of all the rights that an accused per- son has, the right to be represented by counsel is by far the most pervasive for it affects his ability to assert any other rights he may have." D P A