Kansas Holistic Defenders Incorporated

KHD DEFENDS KANSANS EFFECTIVELY AND HOLISTICALLY, ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSES OF LEGAL INVOLVEMENT, WITH A VISION OF A FUTURE WHERE ALL KANSANS HAVE COMPREHENSIVE REPRESENTATION AND COMMUNITIES CAN THRIVE.

DOUGLAS COUNTY CRIMINAL DEFENSEKANSAS HOLISTIC DEFENDERS HAS HELPED HUNDREDS OF CLIENTS MEET THEIR INDIVIDUAL GOALS WHILE NAVIGATING POTENTIAL LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM INVOLVEMENT. DURING THE MOST RECENT REPORTING PERIOD, WE WERE APPOINTED TO 774 CASES. OF THOSE CASES THAT REACHED A RESOLUTION, WE SAW 178 DISMISSALS, 94 DISMISSALS PER PLEA DEAL, 153 PLEA DEALS, 70 DIVERSIONS, EIGHT HAVE AN OPEN PLEA, AND THREE CASES TRANSITIONED TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH COURT. OF THREE TRIALS, TWO WERE ACQUITTED AND ONE CLIENT WAS FOUND GUILTY. ONE CASE WAS DISMISSED AND IS PENDING APPEAL. THE OTHER 264 CASES REMAINED ACTIVE ONCE THE REPORTING PERIOD PASSED. KHD ATTORNEYS ARE PRESENT FOR ALL FIRST APPEARANCE AND PROBATION VIOLATION DOCKETS TO MEET CLIENTS AT THE EARLIEST STAGE OF PROSECUTION AS IS POSSIBLE. OVER 90% OF THOSE KHD REPRESENTED AT A FIRST APPEARANCE ARE RELEASED WITHOUT BOND. CONNECTING CLIENTS TO SERVICESTO DATE, THE CLIENT ADVOCACY PROGRAM HAS COLLABORATED ON 298 CASES FOR 272 KHD CLIENTS, AVERAGING THE COMPLETION OF 1.99 GOALS FOR EACH CLIENT. A TOTAL OF 540 CLIENT GOALS WERE COMPLETED, 392 OF WHICH WERE DIRECTLY RELATED TO REQUIREMENTS FOR THEIR CASE. THESE GOALS INCLUDED COMPLETING THE PROPER ASSESSMENTS, CONNECTING TO SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR EVALUATIONS AND CLASSES, ESTABLISHING FUNDING ASSISTANCE FOR THOSE SERVICES, AND PREPARING ALL REQUIREMENTS AND MEMORANDUMS FOR SENTENCING. THE 148 GOALS INDIRECTLY RELATED TO CASE REQUIREMENTS WERE MOSTLY ASSISTANCE WITH HOUSING AND FOOD RESOURCES, OBTAINING VITAL DOCUMENTS, AND ASSISTING WITH TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION NEEDS. SEVEN CLIENTS HAD MORE THAN FOUR INDIRECT GOALS, ALL INVOLVING SOME HIGHER LEVEL OF MENTAL HEALTH NEED OR COORDINATION. THREE OF THESE CLIENTS HAD TWO OR MORE CASES KHD REPRESENTED. CIVIL LEGAL PROGRAMMINGIN 2023, KHD CONTINUED THE TOPEKA FAMILY LEGAL PROJECT (TFLP), A CIVIL LAW PROGRAM FOR SHAWNEE COUNTY FUNDED THROUGH THE CBCAP GRANT FROM THE KANSAS CHILDREN'S CABINET AND TRUST FUND. THIS PROGRAM SERVES FAMILIES WITH SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN IN LEGAL MATTERS SUCH AS DEBIT COLLECTIONS, EVICTIONS, IEP DISPUTES, AND BENEFIT REINSTATEMENTS. OF THE CASES ACCEPTED BY THE TFLP, ROUGHLY 86% OF CASES WERE RESOLVED IN FAVOR OF OUR CLIENT, WHETHER BY DISMISSAL, RULING IN FAVOR OF THE CLIENT, OR A FAVORABLE RESOLUTION OR COMPROMISE. KHD ALSO LAUNCHED A PILOT PROJECT IN DOUGLAS COUNTY CALLED THE DOUGLAS COUNTY CIVIL ATTORNEY PROGRAM. THIS INITIATIVE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON EVICTION AND TENANT-LANDLORD LAW. OF THE CASES ACCEPTED BY THE DCCAP, ROUGHLY 86% OF CASES WERE RESOLVED IN FAVOR OF OUR CLIENT, WHETHER BY DISMISSAL, RULING IN FAVOR OF THE CLIENT, OR A FAVORABLE RESOLUTION OR AGREEMENT.

CLIENT ADVOCATE SERVICESOUR CLIENT ADVOCATES, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF KHD ATTORNEYS, HAVE HELPED CLIENTS IN A GREAT VARIETY OF WAYS DURING AND AFTER THEIR CRIMINAL CASES. THIS MEANS HELPING CLIENTS GAIN ACCESS TO STABLE HOUSING,MEDICAL CARE, AND BENEFITS, AND ALSO HELPING CLIENTS MAKE NECESSARY APPOINTMENTS AND COURT DATES.IN 2022, KHD HAD 70 CLIENTS SERVED BY CLIENT ADVOCATES, WITH AN AVERAGE 5 SERVICE GOALS PER CLIENT. THESE SERVICE GOALS INCLUDE OBTAINING EMERGENCY OR LONG-TERM HOUSING, OBTAINING FOOD ASSISTANCE, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, CLOTHING, OR HEALTH INSURANCE, PROVIDING COURT CASE ASSISTANCE AND OBTAINING VITAL DOCUMENTS (LICENSE, SOCIAL SECURITY, BIRTH CERTIFICATE). OF THESE GOALS, 68% WERE RESOLVED BY SUCCESSFUL CONNECTION TO OUTSIDE SOCIAL SERVICES, 8% BY PREPARATION OF MITIGATION DOCUMENTS FOR COURT, AND 10% INVOLVED A REFERRAL TO OUR CIVIL ATTORNEY, WITH AN OVERALL SUCCESS RATE OF 86%.