Lessons from New Orleans: A Stronger Role for Public Defenders in Spurring Indigent Defense Reform

Excessive caseloads prevent public defenders from fulfilling their ethical obligations and curtail criminal defendants’ right to the effective assistance of counsel. Despite this ethical and constitutional dilemma, legislators have been reluctant to provide adequate funds for indigent defense. And because of the separation of powers, courts have been unable to force legislators’ hands. Against this backdrop, criminal defendants in states that choose not to adequately fund indigent defense face a serious risk of wrongful conviction. The Orleans Public Defenders Office (OPD) provides a case study of public defenders playing a stronger role in spurring legislative reform. In response to a funding crisis in Louisiana, the OPD refused to take new cases beyond constitutionally permissible workloads. This refusal resulted in criminal defendants being put on waiting lists for representation, which garnered national attention, gave rise to class action lawsuits against the state, and created a threat to public safety. These are governance problems that legislators prioritize over funding indigent defense. The OPD’s refusal to take new cases has been somewhat successful: in response to this crisis, the state legislature has provided additional funds to public defenders’ offices in the state. Public defenders are in a unique position to put pressure on legislators. By refusing to take new cases that would cause their workloads to be excessive, public defenders can both maintain their obligations to the profession and ensure constitutional representation for their clients

Gamma-Set Domination Graphs. I: Complete Biorientations of \u3cem\u3eq-\u3c/em\u3eExtended Stars and Wounded Spider Graphs

The domination number of a graph G, γ(G), and the domination graph of a digraph D, dom(D) are integrated in this paper. The γ-set domination graph of the complete biorientation of a graph G, domγ(G) is created. All γ-sets of specific trees T are found, and dom-γ(T) is characterized for those classes

Organizing for Safe Work in a Safe World

[Excerpt] Health and safety is a promising issue for organizing workers, whether as new members or in revitalizing local unions. Working conditions have dramatically deteriorated over the past decade, and millions of workers now work in workplaces that are unbelievably dangerous and unhealthy. There are many different organizing strategies. The authors start from the premise that from day one the goal of any organizing campaign is union building. Recognizing that there are different ways to get there, and that resources and circumstances differ from campaign to campaign, we attempt in this article to outline the basic ingredients and a general strategic approach. While our focus here is on organizing new members, the general approach we outline is equally effective for union building in already constituted local unions

The (1,2)-Step Competition Graph of a Tournament

The competition graph of a digraph, introduced by Cohen in 1968, has been extensively studied. More recently, in 2000, Cho, Kim, and Nam defined the m-step competition graph. In this paper, we offer another generalization of the competition graph. We define the (1,2)-step competition graph of a digraph D, denoted C1,2(D), as the graph on V(D) where {x,y}∈E(C1,2(D)) if and only if there exists a vertex z≠x,y, such that either dD−y(x,z)=1 and dD−x(y,z)≤2 or dD−x(y,z)=1 and dD−y(x,z)≤2. In this paper, we characterize the (1,2)-step competition graphs of tournaments and extend our results to the (i,k)-step competition graph of a tournament

Digraphs with Isomorphic Underlying and Domination Graphs: Pairs of Paths

A domination graph of a digraph D, dom (D), is created using thc vertex set of D and edge uv ϵ E (dom (D)) whenever (u, z) ϵ A (D) or (v, z) ϵ A (D) for any other vertex z ϵ A (D). Here, we consider directed graphs whose underlying graphs are isomorphic to their domination graphs. Specifically, digraphs are completely characterized where UGc (D) is the union of two disjoint paths

A Characterization of Connected (1,2)-Domination Graphs of Tournaments

Recently. Hedetniemi et aI. introduced (1,2)-domination in graphs, and the authors extended that concept to (1, 2)-domination graphs of digraphs. Given vertices x and y in a digraph D, x and y form a (1,2)-dominating pair if and only if for every other vertex z in D, z is one step away from x or y and at most two steps away from the other. The (1,2)-dominating graph of D, dom1,2 (D), is defined to be the graph G = (V, E ) , where V (G) = V (D), and xy is an edge of G whenever x and y form a (1,2)-dominating pair in D. In this paper, we characterize all connected graphs that can be (I, 2)-dominating graphs of tournaments

Kings and Heirs: A Characterization of the (2,2)-domination Graphs of Tournaments

In 1980, Maurer coined the phrase king when describing any vertex of a tournament that could reach every other vertex in two or fewer steps. A (2,2)-domination graph of a digraph D, dom2,2(D), has vertex set V(D), the vertices of D, and edge uv whenever u and v each reach all other vertices of D in two or fewer steps. In this special case of the (i,j)-domination graph, we see that Maurer’s theorem plays an important role in establishing which vertices form the kings that create some of the edges in dom2,2(D). But of even more interest is that we are able to use the theorem to determine which other vertices, when paired with a king, form an edge in dom2,2(D). These vertices are referred to as heirs. Using kings and heirs, we are able to completely characterize the (2,2)-domination graphs of tournaments

Play and folklore

This issue of Play and Folklore has a special focus on children’s outdoor play. We hear many stories about the constraints placed on children’s play by adults – the growing number of ‘bannings’ include handstands, cartwheels, throwing things, playing with sticks, digging holes and rough-and-tumble play. Even simply touching each other is forbidden in some schools. In this issue we bring a more positive perspective on play by highlighting some of the ways in which children are being encouraged and assisted to explore, experiment, be adventurous and make their own fun