Post by debs on Aug 17, 2010 19:07:56 GMT
Mo. public defenders offices face caseload crunch
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The public defenders office serving three southwest Missouri counties remains in a state of "pending unavailability," meaning the office is exceeding its caseload limit. Thirteen other public defender offices in the state also have issued notices of "impending unavailability," and two have been closed to new clients.
A judge in Christian County has ruled that the office in Springfield must represent eligible clients charged with criminal offenses. The Joplin Globe reports that the general counsel for the state's public defenders office says the ruling will be appealed. Budget woes have prevented the state from providing enough money to fix the problem.