News & Events
On 6/8/20, Mecklenburg Defenders and their supporters came together with public defenders from across the nation in solidarity with Black Lives Matter protesters. Pictures of the event and our office's public statement are below.
Statement of Mecklenburg Public Defender Kevin Tully
In the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the resulting protests, the Mecklenburg Public Defenders support and join those crying out to be heard in demanding change. The anger is legitimate, and the desperation is real.
As Public Defenders, we witness daily the systemic and individual racism that exists in our criminal court system. The brutality and discriminate practices of overfunded and militarized police forces, that have victimized and traumatized generations of people from targeted communities, go unaddressed by a system that does not care. The color of one’s skin influences outcomes by defining who is presumed innocent and who is presumed guilty, who stays in jail and who goes home, who gets a break because they have “bright futures” and who does not.
As Public Defenders we oppose a criminal court system that denies the humanity of those it impacts while also denying the loss of humanity required of those who justify a system that brutalizes in its courtrooms those already brutalized by society. Our black and brown clients share with us their experiences and trauma living in over-policed neighborhoods that have been denied access to adequate educational opportunity, adequate physical and mental health services, decent and affordable housing, and living wage jobs.
The criminal court system is indifferent to the experiences and trauma of these clients because the clients themselves are not valued. As advocates, Public Defenders share our clients’ stories and ask not only that the stories matter but that our clients matter. We do a lot of talking. We talk to judges, juries, and prosecutors. We talk in courtrooms, back halls, and most recently in Zoom meetings. However, while we talk about our clients, we do not speak FOR them — our clients have their own voices. They and their communities are speaking now, in the only language left to them in a desperate plea to be heard. As Public Defenders we pray that court system actors, City and County leaders, and our entire community finally hear these cries and acknowledge that the anger is justified, and that change must come.
To all crying out right now, your Mecklenburg Public Defenders are here to:
Listen to You — Learn from You — Stand with You
and Always Defend You!
Kevin P. Tully
Mecklenburg Public Defender
Public Defenders Carson Smith, Chrissie Nelson, and Elizabeth Gerber (from left) speaking to UMC residents.
Know Your Rights Training at Urban Ministry Center
On 2/28/19, a group of public defenders spent the morning at the Urban Ministry Center to give a training on legal rights to the residents.
The training covers issues like the difference between voluntary contact with police and being detained, plain view searches and searches incident to arrest, invoking the right to remain silent, and how to file a complaint against an officer.
Thanks to the Urban Ministry Center for hosting us and to the participants at the training for being so engaged during the discussion!