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Beltrami County board approves two public defender contracts to restore four-attorney team
Summary
The Beltrami County Board approved eight-month contracts for Ellen Tholen and Joshua Knuckles, restoring the county's public defender roster to four attorneys; commissioners debated budget effects and coverage risks.
The Beltrami County Board of Commissioners voted to approve contracts for two public defenders, Ellen Tholen and Joshua Knuckles, restoring the county's indigent defense team to four attorneys.
County Administrator (name not specified) told the board the contracts would run through the end of the year and were issued after a request for qualifications in February. The administrator said the county previously had four contracted public defenders, fell to three after one left the region and later to two when another died, creating coverage and conflict-of-interest pressures.
The contracts are short-term eight-month agreements to bring staffing back to four while the county studies…
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