Garza announces resolution to help indigent defendants

City Council Member Delia Garza is holding a 9:30 a.m. press conference in front of City Hall this morning to announce her plan to put forth a resolution to ease the burdens placed upon indigent defendants in municipal court. According to a press statement from Garza’s policy aide Brian McGiverin, the resolution will “establish a clear policy that indigent defendants will not be jailed for failing to pay a fine they cannot afford, because doing so hurts the community.” The resolution will also direct staff to conduct a study of other ways to ease conditions for indigent defendants, including determining “whether the list of community-service options available to defendants can be expanded” and exploring “the feasibility of appointing attorneys for indigent defendants accused of non-payment of fines.” Council members Ann Kitchen, Pio Renteria, Greg Casar and Leslie Pool are co-sponsoring the resolution.