PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — This week, public defenders in the city will set up shop inside the Criminal Justice Center to help defendants with open cases get back on track after lengthy pandemic-related delays.
The initiative is aimed at getting people with open criminal cases to understand the status of their case, and the next steps required of them, so they don’t face severe penalties, such as getting rearrested.
Anyone with an open criminal case in the city can look for help starting in the lobby area of the Stout Criminal Justice Center — just across from City Hall.
"It is not intended to address issues for people who are on probation, who have questions about their probation status. It is not intended to address cases of juveniles," said acting Chief Defender Alan Tauber.
"It is intended only to address cases in which people are awaiting trial."
City public defenders will be in the lobby from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day until Friday.
Tauber says if someone can’t visit in person: "They can call our office. ... We will meet people at the front door to ... give them legal counsel about their case. We will have access to the information about their case.
Tauber says thety use an electronic case file system, that allow tem to which allows us to, at a push of a button get the information about our clients and can counsel them directly."
District Attorney Larry Krasner says if a defendant shows up and inquires about the status of their case, his office will take that into account -- and it could be beneficial for the defendants.
A defendant not having a court date is not their fault, he says. "So, in every single situation, it will be of some benefit to people to come in here and get a new court date, in terms of how their cases are finally resolved."
If someone is unable to physically go to the court house at 13th and Filbert streets, they can call the Public Defenders Office at 215-683-7004, -7005 or -7006.
It is also possible to look up the case by docket number online.