The Rhode Island JDAI community was shocked and saddened to hear news of the death of their friend and colleague John Hardiman, the state’s chief public defender and a true champion of justice for youth and for all people. 

Hardiman spent his entire legal career in the public defender's office, where he worked tirelessly on behalf of indigent defendants. His passion, talent, and commitment were a shining example of someone who worked each day to improve the criminal and juvenile justice systems. He was a mentor to many in the field – both in Rhode Island and nationally. 

Hardiman brought tremendous leadership to juvenile justice reform efforts and was instrumental in the establishment of JDAI in Rhode Island. After a successful advocacy campaign to reverse a new law requiring 17-year-olds to be tried as adults, his argument before the Rhode Island Supreme Court resulted in all the cases being remanded to the Family Court.

During his career, he successfully advocated for legislative reforms, including the establishment of procedures for DNA testing of those who may have been wrongfully convicted, expansion of the court's discretion to waive costs, and increased diversity of jury panels.

"John's legacy will surely be his vision beyond the courtroom and his recognition that criminal law problems are only part of the obstacles standing between many of our clients and productive lives,” Deputy Public Defender Barbara Hurst, a longtime friend, said in a Providence Journal article.

“Anyone representing criminal defendants who doesn't pay as much attention to substance abuse and mental issues as to legal defenses is not meeting the standard of quality representation that John spent his career modeling.”