MAYOR BLOOMBERG yesterday appointed John Feinblatt, the founder and head of a non-profit group that serves as the Office of Court Administration’s think tank, as his criminal justice coordinator.
Mr. Feinblatt will oversee the city’s criminal justice budget. Currently the city spends about $137 million a year for the defense of the indigent, which is allocated between the Legal Aid Society, 18-B court-appointed lawyers and about 10 other non-profit groups, including seven that were funded for the first time during Mayor Giuliani’s tenure. The Criminal Justice Coordinator’s Office also sets spending priorities for the city’s five District Attorneys’ Offices.
