Kentucky's Department of Public Advocacy: An Oral History Project

The Kentucky's Department of Public Advocacy Oral History Project seeks to increase awareness of the constitutional right to legal counsel for indigents accused of or convicted of a crime and facing a loss of liberty or life. Eight former public advocates address their experiences with the development of the Kentucky public defender program from the 1970s to the 2000s.  The project is in recognition of the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Kentucky public defender program and also the 50th anniversary of the United States Supreme Court's landmark decision requiring the appointment of counsel for indigent criminal defendants in Gideon v. Wainwright.