Philadelphia public defender’s office flat-funded in city budget

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia’s chief public defender, Keisha Hudson, says she will have to make some serious cuts because the mayor gave her office no additional funds in the city budget, unlike other criminal justice stakeholders.

“In three budget cycles with Mayor Kenney, we were granted $15 million. In three budget cycles with Mayor Parker, we have been granted $1 million,” said Hudson. “We are underfunded; we’ve continually been underfunded.”

She asked for $5 million more to cover contractual salary increases for her unionized lawyers and staff, insurance premiums, and basic office functions.

“We are a critical part of the process, and to come out of this budget cycle as the only justice system agency that got no funding increase is remarkable to me,” she said, “and it is infuriating to me, given the importance of the work that we do.”

Hudson said she will have to make cuts: reduce staffing in courtrooms, cut vital diversion programs, and end monthly emergency bail hearings.

“We are not constitutionally obligated to do preliminary arraignments, not constitutionally obligated to do any diversion programming, including the mayor’s wellness initiative,” she said.

The office handles about 70% of the cases that come through the courts. Last year, that was about 34,000 people, including 4,000 children, Hudson said.

She said it’s more expensive for those clients to have court-appointed attorneys, who are also paid, in part, by the city.

“We have to now make very hard decisions, which are going to impact Black and brown clients who are poor in the city of Philadelphia,” she added.

A spokesperson for City Council President Kenyatta Johnson told KYW Newsradio that council “advocated for their budget priorities” but didn’t explain why it didn’t go through.

A spokesperson for the mayor said that under both the prior administration and Parker’s administration, the Defender Association of Philadelphia had a nearly 45% increase in its budget.