After ousting his critics, Landry appointee seeks more control over Louisiana public defenders

By: Julie O'Donoghue

Outlets: Louisiana Illuminator

Published: May 6, 2026

Words: 1,533

Last Updated: 2 months, 3 weeks ago

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Gov. Jeff Landry’s appointee who runs Louisiana’s public defender system is seeking more control over its remaining attorneys and budget, having already eliminated five of his most vocal critics.

Rémy Starns, the state’s public defender, oversees the government-funded legal counsel criminal defendants receive when they cannot afford to pay for their own defense. The public defender system provided attorneys to approximately 140,000 people in 2025, or almost 88% of all criminal defendants in …

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