Because of the large number of defendants in the Operation 27 drug sting, local attorneys are being relied on to provide indigent defense.

When there are co-defendants in a case, the Public Defender’s Office can only represent one defendant while the rest are handled by conflict attorneys.

With conflict attorneys contracted by the PDO, that amounts to only five to six defendants being represented, public defender Harry Fontenot said.

In the case of Operation 27, though, there were 54 arrests. In a letter sent to members of the local bar, state district court Judge David Ritchie said some of the defendants have secured attorneys, but that more than 30 need representation.

Fontenot said his office does not have the money to hire that many conflict attorneys.

To remain free of conflicts, a law firm will not represent more than one defendant, Ritchie said in the letter.

Ritchie called the situation a “highly unusual circumstance.” It is not the same as 2012 when members of the local bar were assigned cases because of dwindling funds at the PDO, he said.

Operation 27 was an investigation into cocaine distribution in Southwest Louisiana. It revolved around two main defendants, Norvell Harris and Hawyard Lecompte.

Harris, 36, was arrested for a 27th time. He was indicted on 188 counts.

Authorities said Harris was the most prolific street-level cocaine dealer in the area and that Lecompte was the largest cocaine distributor. Lecompte, 39, was indicted on 25 charges.(MGNonline)