Washington Supreme Court Sets New Public Defender Caseload Limits

Supreme Court of Washington Order No. 25700-A-1644.
In the matter of the standards for indigent defense implementation of CrR 3.1, CrRLJ 3.1, AND JuCR 9.2.

Starting in 2026, felony defenders will be capped at 47 cases per year, with phased implementation over 10 years. The Court encourages case weighting and plans to evaluate progress after three years. The new limits stem from the Court’s review of a national workload study and recommendations from the WSBA Council on Public Defense. The move aims to address widespread concerns about excessive public defender caseloads and ensure defendants receive quality legal representation. Public hearings and extensive internal discussions shaped the Court’s decision, with further rule amendments expected soon.