This article was published Feb. 27 by Stet Media Group shortly after Palm Beach County’s outgoing Public Defender addressed a League forum. It is reprinted here with permission. You can also find it at this link: https://www.stetnews.org/i/141677294/five-things-carey-haughwout-told-the-women-voters
Public Defender Carey Haughwout is stepping down after 24 years. That makes her the county’s longest-serving public defender.
She runs a 200-member staff charged with defending people whose life or liberty is in the balance over misdemeanor, felony or capital charges.
- Haughwout has personally represented several defendants in Palm Beach County death penalty cases.
Former Literacy Coalition CEO Darlene Kostrub interviewed Haughwout this month at a free event west of Delray Beach presented by the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County.
- On why she spent time at the defense table: Because the public defender is an elected office, I was advised to stay out of the courtroom. But I am at heart a criminal defense attorney.
- Does the legal system treat people as innocent until proven guilty? No. The bail system completely undermines the presumption of innocence. We keep people in jail when they are “innocent,” and they have to plead guilty to get out. Those who spend pretrial in jail have worse outcomes. Today, most of those in custody are people of color.
- Her position on the death penalty: Very opposed. We want to punish people for using forethought, planning and deliberation in killing. That’s what we do to people: use forethought, planning and deliberation before an execution.
Also: It is the essence of inequity in our society, she said.
- What do you wish you had done? The saying, “Nobody dies wishing they had worked more,” I am not on that list.
I’m not up on technology and some of the things we need to embrace to be more effective. It used to be that the ability to connect with people (in a courtroom) was most important. Now it’s presentations and videos. - What she does instead of watching “Law and Order.” I follow the work of (social justice activists) Bryan Stevenson and Jeffrey Robinson.
What’s next: Chief Assistant Public Defender Dan Eisinger and criminal defense attorney Adam Frankel are candidates in the Nov. 5 election to succeed Haughwout. She has endorsed Eisinger.
