Richard Carter and his agency, Central Defense Initiative are slated to move into their new office soon and have announced an open house to celebrate. It’ll be on February 10th from 11:00AM to 1:00PM and it’s a great opportunity to meet the entire staff and enjoy some light refreshments. Their new office is located on 105 West Jefferson Street on the Square in Kosciusko.
This comes shortly after the implementation of their Pilot Program in October of 2025, which aims to give indigent clients representatives in court. In order to manage their caseload efficiently and fairly, they have a randomized schedule to determine which jail they visit. Their goal is to be in front of indigent clients within 24 hours of their arrest, and, if possible, before their first appearance in court.
The agency makes two primary checks to decide whether they will accept a case.
1) Eligibility screening: Use a questionnaire to determine if the client is indeed indigent.
2) Conflict check: Ensure there are no conflicts of interest with representing the client.
If everything checks out and the client wants them as representatives, the attorney will promptly file an entry of appearance on their behalf and request a preliminary hearing. They will then represent that client throughout their criminal proceedings. Since their establishment in October, the Central Defense Initiative has opened approximately 66 cases and have only had to decline services to 5 individuals. Four of those did not qualify, and the other had a conflict of interest.
If you need to contact Richard Carter, you can reach him at 601-298-4892, and you can learn more about Central Defense Initiative on their website.
R B Brown
February 2, 2026 at 11:03 AMHighly recommend Richard Carter as an excellent criminal defense lawyer.