Amid public defender shortage, WA Bar Association suggests caseload limits

Since the 1963 Gideon decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, the right to a lawyer has been guaranteed to defendants facing criminal charges – even if they can’t afford to pay. 

Advocates say that guarantee is in  jeopardy in our state because of a lack of personnel. Washington State public defenders are in short supply and that’s having cascading effects on the criminal legal system. 

The Washington State Bar Association is recommending a counterintuitive solution to the shortage: they want to cap the number of cases that public defenders can take on in a year, but the plan has its detractors. 

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. 

Guests:

Jason Schwarz, Director of Snohomish County Office of Public Defense and Chair of the Washington State Bar Association, Council on Public Defense

Russell Brown, executive director of the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys

Relevant Links:

Washington State Standard: Can smaller caseloads help Washington fill its public defender ranks?

Seattle Times: WA’s public defender system is breaking down, communities reeling

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.