The state public defense commission sets a limit for the number of cases an attorney under contract can take on at once. In an email, Murphy cited commission data showing that Public Defenders of Marion County currently operates at 59% of that limit, which he described as “by far the lowest in the state.”
Murphy said that includes defendants who have a warrant for their arrest or have been found unable to aid in their defense due to a mental illness. “In these cases, no legal work is occurring on the criminal case. This is likely why our bench feels it must resort to extraordinary measures to ensure that defense attorneys meet their obligation to those charged with crimes,” he said.
“Blaming district attorneys for this issue is like blaming the coastal sand for being wet,” said Clarkson, the district attorney, in an email. “There are forces here that we don’t control. We are simply responding to what is happening in our communities and holding up our obligation to keep us all safe. The Marion County bench is asking (Public Defenders of Marion County) to uphold theirs.”
That 59% figure is damning. The organization is clearly not being run well.