{"id":884,"date":"2026-05-27T12:04:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T12:04:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884"},"modified":"2026-05-27T12:04:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T12:04:04","slug":"colorado-defense-attorneys-revolt-against-new-agency-head-amid-widespread-disillusionment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884","title":{"rendered":"Colorado defense attorneys revolt against new agency head amid \u2018widespread disillusionment\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

Colorado criminal defense attorneys are decrying the new leader of the state\u2019s Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel and criticizing a culture shift within the agency that they believe could undermine defendants\u2019 constitutional rights.<\/p>\n

Read more Broncos-tied equestrian estate near Silverthorne listed for $24.5 million<\/a><\/p>\n

The mounting complaints about Joanna Landau, the agency\u2019s new executive director, came to a head during a two-hour public meeting attended by more than 200 people late Friday afternoon, just before the start of the three-day holiday weekend.<\/p>\n

Staff and contracted attorneys for the Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel, known as ADC, said Landau has cultivated a culture of fear within the agency since she was hired in September and put such a heavy emphasis on keeping costs low that attorneys worry the office\u2019s increasingly shoestring approach may ultimately limit their ability to mount complete defenses for their clients.<\/p>\n

The small state agency contracts with private defense attorneys to represent indigent defendants who cannot be represented by the Office\u00a0of the State\u00a0Public Defender, typically when public defenders \u2014 the first choice for indigent defense \u2014 have a conflict of interest.<\/p>\n

\u201c(In) four decades of being a contract defender, the defense community has never had a more heightened level of concern about ADC leadership, nor a more widespread disillusionment about the fairness of providing effective representation to the poor than at this very moment,\u201d James Castle, a longtime Denver defense attorney, said during Friday\u2019s meeting, hosted by the nine-member volunteer commission that oversees the Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel.<\/p>\n

Landau did not return requests for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

The commission hired her in September to replace longtime ADC director Lindy Frolich, who retired last year after 20 years in the job. Landau previously held a variety of positions related to indigent defense in Utah, including working as the executive director of Utah Indigent Defense Commission, an organization that supports indigent defense in the state.<\/p>\n

But that resume didn\u2019t make for a smooth transition into the Colorado agency, current and former ADC staff members told The Denver Post.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Landau quickly implemented a strict hierarchy at the agency, requiring subordinates to work up a chain of command before contacting her \u2014 an about-face from Frolich\u2019s collaborative approach, attorneys said. Landau also tamped down on communications between staff and contracted attorneys, limiting the support contractors were accustomed to receiving from the central state office, they said.<\/p>\n

The 41-person state agency contracts with roughly 1,200 attorneys and support staff statewide to represent indigent defendants. Insiders were puzzled by Landau\u2019s laser focus on tightening purse strings \u2014 there is no indication, aside from it being a lean budget year, that the agency faced any direct outside pressure to cut costs, they said.<\/p>\n

At the core of the criticism Friday was a sense that Landau\u2019s top-down, arms-length approach to leadership is undermining what has long been a thriving indigent defense community. Nearly two dozen speakers raised concern during the meeting, some fighting tears, with several calling for Landau to be fired.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have people and staff members who have been working for this agency for decades,\u201d said Jennifer Henslee, a longtime ADC contractor. \u201cThat is something to be proud of. And she\u2019s dismantling it. Because she is so awful as a leader. This is a disaster. Disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u2018Culture of fear\u2019<\/h4>\n

In February, Landau reprimanded a longtime ADC employee, Jonathan Rosen, when he voiced concerns about Landau\u2019s treatment of another employee in the office. That reprimand \u2014 for insubordination \u2014 eventually led to Rosen\u2019s departure from the office in March.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I confronted her about her behavior, there was no discussion about what she did and why she did it,\u201d Rosen said. \u201cIt was just, \u2018You are wrong, you shall be punished.\u2019 I\u2019m not saying she can\u2019t do these things. What I am saying is she is causing a lot of damage and it is negatively impacting the people who support the clients.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019d been a key resource for contracted attorneys since 2013 \u2014 he was, for many, their first call when they needed advice on a tricky legal situation \u2014 and his forced departure raised alarm both inside the office and out.<\/p>\n

Read more Should Colorado Boulevard host a bus rapid transit project? Glendale is among those shouting, \u2018Stop!\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Formerly robust in-office Tuesdays dwindled as other employees began to fear retaliation for crossing Landau, said a current employee who spoke to The Post on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been heartbreaking to see the change since Joanna took over,\u201d she said. \u201cThere is just a culture of fear that has taken over. \u2026No one is in the office anymore. And when they are, everyone is tiptoeing around like, \u2018Are you OK? Are you OK?’\u201d<\/p>\n

That rigid top-down approach put off contracted attorneys, many of whom could make more money by taking private clients, but who do ADC work because they are passionate about it, attorneys said in Friday\u2019s meeting. JB Katz, a longtime attorney contractor, resigned in May over Rosen\u2019s ouster, she told The Post. <\/p>\n

\u201cADC contractors have been a previously quiet, committed workforce who have worked and sacrificed for the good of the poor and disadvantaged for many years,\u201d Castle said. \u201cDirector Landau\u2019s only significant contribution during her imperious leadership over the last year has been to awaken the sleeping giant of incredible and altruistic contractors. They will no longer be silent. The clients, the workers and justice demand they speak up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Delayed billing, focus on costs<\/h4>\n

Landau\u2019s perceived focus on cost-cutting drew significant criticism from contracted attorneys both during and before Friday\u2019s meeting, with attorneys describing delayed billing and increased scrutiny of their expenses.<\/p>\n

One attorney received pushback from ADC when the attorney requested funding for a second paralegal to help sift through thousands of pages of discovery in a murder case, Rosen said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have yet to hear anybody tell me their clients have been better served by any of the changes she has made,\u201d he said. \u201cRepresentation is harder; clients are not being well-served. (Contractors are) not interested in sticking around.\u201d<\/p>\n

The agency\u2019s payments to attorneys for completed work have also slowed under Landau\u2019s tenure, taking weeks longer to be issued and causing problems for attorneys who rely on timely payments, multiple attorneys said during Friday\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n

Defense attorney Amelia Power said her firm has yet to be paid for a hearing for post-conviction relief she handled in November.<\/p>\n

\u201cI worry this is a result of extreme examination of costs and hours that is coming from the top, specifically Joanna,\u201d Power said.<\/p>\n

In in January, Landau wrote that she was committed to balancing budget constraints with defendants\u2019 constitutional rights. The agency received $83 million in funding for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, state budget records show.<\/p>\n

\u201cI focused on fiscal responsibility and the extreme economic stress facing Colorado, while knowing the Constitution requires the ADC to ensure Colorado\u2019s indigent clients are represented by competent defense teams,\u201d she wrote in the letter.<\/p>\n

Members of the Commission for the Alternate Defense Counsel, who are appointed by the Colorado Supreme Court, agreed to consider the raised concerns after Friday\u2019s meeting and said they planned to follow up with an announcement about next steps in the coming days.<\/p>\n

Read more Gov. Jared Polis signs bills overhauling RTD board, changing Front Range Passenger Rail District<\/a><\/p>\n

The group had not issued such a statement by Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n

Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Colorado criminal defense attorneys are decrying the new leader of the state\u2019s Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel and criticizing a culture shift within the agency that they believe could undermine defendants\u2019 constitutional rights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":883,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime-and-public-safety","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nColorado defense attorneys revolt against new agency head amid \u2018widespread disillusionment\u2019 - Colorado Springs Moverss<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Colorado defense attorneys revolt against new agency head amid \u2018widespread disillusionment\u2019 - Colorado Springs Moverss\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Colorado criminal defense attorneys are decrying the new leader of the state\u2019s Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel and criticizing a culture shift within the agency that they believe could undermine defendants\u2019 constitutional rights.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Colorado Springs Moverss\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-27T12:04:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=884#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=884\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4857af3bff7f66cee0c97667a8e70c1c\"},\"headline\":\"Colorado defense attorneys revolt against new agency head amid \u2018widespread disillusionment\u2019\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-27T12:04:04+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=884\"},\"wordCount\":1269,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=884#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/1f1639843c726d8440e4c9b4e2b488f5.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Crime and Public Safety\",\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=884#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=884\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=884\",\"name\":\"Colorado defense attorneys revolt against new agency head amid \u2018widespread disillusionment\u2019 - Colorado Springs Moverss\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=884#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=884#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/1f1639843c726d8440e4c9b4e2b488f5.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-27T12:04:04+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4857af3bff7f66cee0c97667a8e70c1c\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=884#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=884\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=884#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/1f1639843c726d8440e4c9b4e2b488f5.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/1f1639843c726d8440e4c9b4e2b488f5.webp\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":681},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=884#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Colorado defense attorneys revolt against new agency head amid \u2018widespread disillusionment\u2019\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Colorado Springs Moverss\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4857af3bff7f66cee0c97667a8e70c1c\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Colorado defense attorneys revolt against new agency head amid \u2018widespread disillusionment\u2019 - Colorado Springs Moverss","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Colorado defense attorneys revolt against new agency head amid \u2018widespread disillusionment\u2019 - Colorado Springs Moverss","og_description":"Colorado criminal defense attorneys are decrying the new leader of the state\u2019s Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel and criticizing a culture shift within the agency that they believe could undermine defendants\u2019 constitutional rights.","og_url":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884","og_site_name":"Colorado Springs Moverss","article_published_time":"2026-05-27T12:04:04+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4857af3bff7f66cee0c97667a8e70c1c"},"headline":"Colorado defense attorneys revolt against new agency head amid \u2018widespread disillusionment\u2019","datePublished":"2026-05-27T12:04:04+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884"},"wordCount":1269,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1f1639843c726d8440e4c9b4e2b488f5.webp","articleSection":["Crime and Public Safety","News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884","url":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884","name":"Colorado defense attorneys revolt against new agency head amid \u2018widespread disillusionment\u2019 - Colorado Springs Moverss","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1f1639843c726d8440e4c9b4e2b488f5.webp","datePublished":"2026-05-27T12:04:04+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4857af3bff7f66cee0c97667a8e70c1c"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1f1639843c726d8440e4c9b4e2b488f5.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1f1639843c726d8440e4c9b4e2b488f5.webp","width":1024,"height":681},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=884#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Colorado defense attorneys revolt against new agency head amid \u2018widespread disillusionment\u2019"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/","name":"Colorado Springs Moverss","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4857af3bff7f66cee0c97667a8e70c1c","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com"],"url":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=884"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}