Minor Crime...Major Waste

A new report released by NACDL (National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers) reports that the average state misdemeanor rate is 3,500 cases per 100,000 citizens. That means taxpayers are paying for more than 10 million misdemeanor prosecutions per year. The report, available here, reports that in three major cities - Atlanta, Chicago, and Miami, public defenders have more than 2,000 cases per lawyer, per year. In New Orleans, it is more than 18,000 due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. When you consider the types of cases-loitering, driving with a suspended license, curfew violations-it becomes clear that maybe petty crime is really just that...petty.