PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The chief of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, who made headlines in recent years for making groundbreaking reform, has stepped down from her post. The agency is launching a national search.
Keir Bradford Grey is the first Black woman to be chief of the Association. She took over in September 2015 and made headlines from the very beginning. She called criminal justice the civil rights issue of our time, bringing community, high-profile celebrities, advocacy groups and elected officials together to create reform.
Related
"Her leadership has provided the ground work for lasting change," said Paul Hetznecker, president of the Defender Association of Philadelphia Board of Directors.
That change includes pre-entry intervention that keeps defendants out of the system, bail navigators and a host of programs that alleviate the scar left by the system on Black and brown communities.
Her work redefined public defenders, building trust in the community.
"It’s going to be hard to replace Keir, because she leaves such an incredible legacy," hs said.
Hetznecker says the Association is launching a national search. In the meantime, First Assistant Defender Alan Tauber will serve as interim chief. Bradford Grey’s last day is April 15.
CORRECTION: In a previous version of this story, Alan Tauber's name was misspelled.