News

Jun 10, 2024 - Freedom
Kimonti Carter (pictured here) was convicted of aggravated murder and received a mandatory life sentence without parole for this offense committed in 1997 when he was 18 years old. In 2021 the state…
May 6, 2024 - Public Defense Standards are Changing: What Counties and Cities Need to Know
This blog will address some frequently asked questions about how the revisions to the WSBA Standards affect Washington local governments.
Apr 5, 2024 - Two-month wait for public defenders as Yakima County attorney shortage grows worse
The U.S. Constitution guarantees defendants a right to a speedy trial. In Washington, that means people arraigned on a criminal charge have to be brought to trial within two months if they are being…
Apr 1, 2024 - Public Defense Job Satisfaction
In light of the statewide shortage, OPD surveyed public defense attorneys to better learn what factors keep them in the field, what drive them away, and what steps can be taken to retain them. In…
Mar 28, 2024 - Public defenders' plight is finally getting some attention
Washington's public defense system has been overextended for some time. It's underfunded and understaffed, making it difficult — sometimes impossible — for publicly paid court-appointed attorneys to…
Mar 8, 2024 - Public defenders struggle with big caseloads
State funding covers fraction of local costs Public defenders for Okanogan County — the lawyers who represent defendants who can’t afford to hire their own attorney — are juggling such…
Nov 16, 2023 - Clark County to Start a Public Defense Office
After many starts and stops and years of input, the Clark County Council unanimously approved using $3 million in ARPA funding to create a county public defense office.
- Seattle Times Article - Washington's Public Defender System is Breaking Down, Communities Reeling
Seattle Times Staff Reporter, Daniel Beekman writes, "When you’re charged with a crime that could put you behind bars and you don’t have enough money to pay an attorney to defend you, the government…
- 'Rights are being violated': WA public defender shortage leads to alleged gap in representation
The state is running low on public defenders and the Director of the Office of Public Defense says the situation is dire. Between growing caseloads and attorneys quitting faster than they’re…
- Urgent Request for Moratorium and Reform in the Public Defense System
The Office of Public Defense (OPD) has asked the court to restrict assignments of new clients to public defenders unless their current open caseload is below 60 percent of the state’s current…