Elberton – Instead of sitting on the bench Wednesday, where he has presided as judge for 15 years, John Bailey Jr. sat a few feet away -- below on the witness stand.

Bailey, chief judge of the Northern Judicial Circuit, recounted how the court system here almost collapsed two years ago when lawyers began abandoning their indigent clients because they weren’t being paid.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – This afternoon, a Fulton County Superior Court Judge ordered the Georgia Public Defenders Standards Council to appoint lawyers for inmates seeking to file appeals within 30 days.  Judge Jerry W. Baxter granted a mandamus and class certification in Maurice Flournoy, et al. v. The State of Georgia, et al., a class action lawsuit brought against the state to secure lawyers for indigent persons in Georgia who have been convicted of offenses carrying a term of incarceration and who are currently without legal representation.

May 13-15, 2010

Death penalty voir dire is one of the most difficult yet crucial skills for lawyers to master.

Join us for a unique hands-on training program limited to 54 capital defense attorneys. Participants will work with a faculty of masters of capital voir dire for two and a half packed days to learn, refine and master the art and science of death penalty jury selection.

Happy New Year to all of SCHR's friends and supporters! As we celebrate the victories from the past years under the direction of Lisa Kung and Stephen Bright; we are thrilled to usher in 2010 with a new leader, our long time Public Policy Director, Sara Totonchi.

Lisa Kung has received a fellowship from the Open Society Institute to investigate the dichotomy in the way some Southern communities of color navigate and deal with challenges and opportunities. She will travel throughout the South interviewing members of these communities for a series of oral history podcasts.