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Chief public defender: backlog nears 1,000 cases; grant and intern efforts underway
Summary
Ed Pinnewick, chief public defender, told the committee the public defender office is approaching 1,000 open felony cases, described causes for fluctuating counts and said staff are pursuing grants and interns to expand services.
Ed Pinnewick, chief public defender, told the Criminal Justice Committee on Sept. 10 that the office is “coming close to a thousand,” a case count he has not seen since taking the chief role in 2019, and that backlog and warrant‑related accounting can make month‑to‑month comparisons misleading.
The detail matters because higher caseloads affect defense resources, timeliness and court workload across the county.
Pinnewick explained that the reported increase reflects a combination of factors including warrant arrests returning previously closed statistical cases and an uptick in felony cases generally. He said felony domestic charges — second offenses, cases involving great bodily harm or strangulation — are especially serious drivers of felony counts.
Pinnewick told the committee the office is pursuing state grant funding to support counselors and related services but has not yet received word on a pending state grant. He said the office hosted a legal intern over the summer and has historically used interns, and he invited committee members to visit the office and meet assistant prosecutors in an open‑house manner.
Committee members approved the public defender’s monthly report by voice vote after a motion to approve was made by Mister Lowy and seconded by Miss Turner from Kankakee. Pinnewick said his primary duty is to clients and reiterated that the office’s work focuses on moving cases consistent with clients’ interests.
