The first Black head of the Allegheny County Public Defender’s office was recently appointed by County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and his first statement was a promise to move that office in a new direction. We say it’s about time.
First we congratulate Elliot Howsie on his new position, second we commend Fitzgerald for his vision in this appointment.
The criminal court system has been labeled “Just Us” for years. Comedian Richard Pryor had a very popular comic skit based on the title “Just Us” when talking about the criminal court system nationwide.
In Allegheny County Blacks make up 10 to 15 percent of the population and only around 4 percent of the attorneys in the criminal court system while more than 70 percent of the people, victims and accused are Black.
Howsie has no control over the percentage of Blacks accused but he can make sure they receive the same treatment as people with money. The biggest problem right now not only in Allegheny County but also throughout the country is that even though we boast about justice being blind, it’s not. Those with money receive much more justice than the poor. The ACLU has threatened to sue if more money and time is not put into the Public Defender’s office to make sure all are treated equally. In many if not most cases, if a person comes through the Public Defender’s office, because of the overload, they don’t see their attorney until they are in front of the judge, whereas the accused who can afford a lawyer see their lawyer up front to plan their strategy on how to get out, and how they are going to plea. Without a lawyer you stay in jail until you go before the judge. So you stay in jail until you get a lawyer or a court appointed one. How many people are in jail because they are poor? And how many end up in jail because they can’t afford a lawyer. They are poor.
Howsie hasn’t said what changes he plans to make, but whatever they are they must be backed up by funding. So our eyes in the next few months will not only be on Howsie but the County Executive and the District Attorney’s office who handle the funding for this office.
Are the 80-plus lawyers working for the Public Defender’s office just as well paid and trained and funded as the District Attorney’s office? Actually what happens in Allegheny County could be a role model for the rest of the country.
Tim Stevens is the only community activist who has spoken out for improvements in the Public Defender’s office thus far, but we expect many more voices to join his. This is an area in which all community activists should be concerned and should be ready to challenge the system. Not only monitoring and making sure all the accused receive a fair trial which starts with proper representation from a good lawyer, but also that Blacks are employed as attorneys, judges, bailouts, and all the other positions in the criminal court system.
Some have said that Howsie isn’t qualified for the position because he hasn’t supervised 80-plus people before. The same old argument with some of this criticism coming from Black people.
Was Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher or Mike Tomlin qualified to head the Steelers? Because neither had been a head coach before. If this is the premise of qualification, then the vast majority of people moving into new positions aren’t qualified because they haven’t held that position before.
Give the brother a chance. If he fails he will follow in the footsteps of all the previous White men before him who have failed. But if he succeeds he has a chance to set the mold for the rest of the country.
His failure or success is not just on his shoulders but depends on District Attorney Stephen Zappala and Fitzgerald. Will they give him the financial and political support he needs to be successful?
All we are saying is that all men and women should have their day in court, and it should be fair, and equal.
The Courier will be watching this one very closely.
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