Public Defender Laid Off By Budget Cuts-Molestation Trial Postponed

40 year old Katherine Vidrine was arrested in 2013 charged with molestation of a juvenile, indecent behavior with a juvenile and human trafficking involving a child under 12. According to our news partner, KATC her trial has been postponed five times due to a heavy work load in the public defenders office. In August of 2015 an assistant District Attorney planned to drop the charge of child trafficking but the motion was never filed. Now Vidrine's attorney, Edward Marquet with the 15th Judicial District Public Defenders Office has been laid off due to State wide budget cuts. 30 of 52 attorneys in the 15th Judicial District Public Defenders Office have been laid off.