• Contact Us
• Home

Derwyn Bunton, Executive Director

Derwyn Bunton is the Executive Director of Juvenile Regional Services (JRS). JRS is the first stand-alone juvenile defender office in the nation and the first non-profit law office devoted to juvenile justice reform and front-line juvenile representation. Formerly the Associate Director for the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana (JJPL), Derwyn graduated from New York University Law School in 1998 and joined the fight in Louisiana to defend the rights of juveniles. He has spent the last 9 years challenging what has been called the most troubled juvenile justice system in the United States. He has authored and co-authored appeals on issues involving greater attorney access to juvenile records, constitutionality of statutes affecting children and the right to jury trials for juveniles.

Derwyn aided in monitoring the settlement agreement between the United States Department of Justice, the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, private plaintiffs and the State of Louisiana. Derwyn was also part of the litigation team that sued Louisiana over the conditions of its juvenile prisons.

During Hurricane Katrina, Derwyn was part of a team of advocates and lawyers assisting the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court and the Louisiana Office of Youth Development (OYD) locate and reunite youth evacuated to OYD facilities after being trapped in by floodwaters in the Orleans Parish Prison. Derwyn then assisted the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court by representing youth in juvenile court on a short-term basis in modification and termination of disposition hearings.

As Executive Director, Derwyn is the Chief Executive Officer for JRS. In addition, Derwyn currently trains and supervises the lawyers and youth advocates working at JRS. He represents the office on various boards and committees, including the, the Louisiana Supreme Court Juvenile Court Rules Committee and the Louisiana State Bar Association Right to Counsel Committee.

He also has represented youth in some of Louisiana’s highest profile juvenile delinquency cases, such as the Woodson School shooting case in New Orleans and a teen charged with possession of internet child pornography in Kenner, Louisiana. Derwyn also presents and trains lawyers and advocates throughout Louisiana and the nation at regional and national conferences.

Return to Previous Page