Tiffiny Blacknell facts for kids

Tiffiny Townend Blacknell (born November 14, 1976) is an American lawyer and a person who works to improve the community. She also supports making changes to the justice system. She currently works as a Deputy Public Defender for the Los Angeles County Public Defender. This means she helps people who cannot afford a lawyer. In 2018, Tiffiny Blacknell was part of Macy's "Find the Remarkable You" campaign. This campaign showed six amazing women from different jobs, including famous basketball player Becky Hammon and conductor JoAnn Falletta.

What a Public Defender Does

Tiffiny Blacknell is a Deputy Public Defender in Los Angeles County. Public defenders are lawyers who represent people who are accused of crimes but cannot pay for their own legal help. They make sure everyone has a fair chance in court.

Her Career as a Lawyer

Before working as a public defender, Tiffiny Blacknell worked for former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón. After he left office, she returned to her role at the Public Defender's office.

Helping to Choose a Leader

In 2018, the leaders of Los Angeles County chose someone to be the temporary head of the public defender's office. Tiffiny Blacknell helped organize people to ask the leaders to choose someone else. This was because the temporary person did not have much experience with criminal law. After many people spoke up, the leaders chose Ricardo García (attorney), who had a lot of experience.

Protecting People's Privacy

In July 2018, Tiffiny Blacknell discovered something important. She found out that secret recordings were being made in a room where lawyers talk to their clients. This is a private conversation that should not be recorded. It was later found that the police and a prosecutor had set up these recordings. Because of this, the Los Angeles County leaders voted to stop these types of recording devices from being put in places where people are held at courthouses. The Los Angeles Times newspaper also wrote about this issue.

Helping the Community

Tiffiny Blacknell is very active in her community in Los Angeles. She works to make things better for everyone.

Working for Fair Bail Rules

Tiffiny Blacknell has supported campaigns like the National Black Mama's Bail Out Day. This campaign is part of a bigger movement that wants to stop people from being held in jail before their trial just because they can't afford to pay bail. She believes that the system where people pay money to get out of jail before their trial is not fair. At a community event, she explained that many people plead guilty to crimes, even if they might not be, because they are held in jail.

Empowering Girls

Tiffiny Blacknell was the main speaker at the "I Matter: Girls Empowerment Conference" at East Los Angeles College. This conference helps young girls believe in themselves and become leaders. In her speech, Tiffiny Blacknell shared her own story of how she became a lawyer. She talked about growing up in a difficult neighborhood and how she overcame challenges to achieve her dreams. She wanted to show girls that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.