January is Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month. The Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office supports survivors of human trafficking at every age by advocating for trauma-informed, survivor-centered responses within the legal system.
 
For trafficked youth, that means supporting Safe Harbor laws that redirect minors from prosecution to care—because no young person should be punished for surviving exploitation.
 
“The duality of being a defendant in one system and a victim in another system enhances the problem that we’re seeing we’re retriggering victims of trafficking by making them face charges in the juvenile setting and then be a victim testifying against the trafficker in the adult setting.” -Shelan Joseph, Special Counsel before the California Senate Public Safety Commission.

Ricardo D. Garcia, L.A. County Public Defender, appeared on Univision 34 Los Angeles to discuss, in spanish, the recently implemented AB 1261. This bill requires the state to provide legal representation for immigrant youth in the State of California.

So many people wrapped up in the criminal legal system have a cognitive disorder that affects planning, decision-making, and judgment. When the system expects something different without providing proper support, it explains why people cycle in and out far too often.

Noah Cox, LA County Deputy Public Defender, joins the @publicdefenselesspodcast to talk about the realities clients with cognitive disorders face and the critical work of our Neurocognitive Disorders Team, which helps bridge that gap with understanding, advocacy, and care.

Listen to the full conversation through the link in our bio.