Kosciusko County Council approves plan to form public defender's office, funds initial year

Kosciusko County Council members approved a plan to create a county public defender's office and to fund startup work after judges and the public defender board presented a staffing and budget proposal on the council's December agenda.

The proposal presented by Judge Mike Reed and the public defender board would create a fully funded office with a chief public defender, a chief deputy, two full-time public defenders, several part-time/contract public defenders and clerical, paralegal and investigator positions. "This would be the fully funded office," Judge Mike Reed told the council, and board members outlined a budget estimate and an expected timeline to begin hiring.

The plan is intended to make local public defender positions more competitive and to secure state reimbursement. Judge Reed and others said meeting state caseload and staffing guidelines would make the county eligible for a roughly 40% reimbursement for felony public-defense costs and could open additional…