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Washington Supreme Court caps municipal misdemeanor public‑defender caseloads; Anacortes staff outline 10‑year phase‑in
Summary
The Washington Supreme Court issued an order setting a 120‑case per‑attorney standard for misdemeanors effective Jan. 1, 2026, phased in over 10 years; Anacortes staff outlined local caseload history and potential budget and capacity implications at council meeting.
City staff briefed the Anacortes City Council June 16 on a June 8 Washington State Supreme Court order that establishes new indigent defense caseload standards for municipal misdemeanor work.
City staff member Ms. Hsu told the council the court’s order reduces the misdemeanor caseload standard from 400 to 120 cases per attorney, effective Jan. 1, 2026, with a 10‑year phase‑in. Ms. Hsu said the phased implementation requires an annual caseload reduction (the court describes an annual minimum reduction equal to 10% of the gap between current and new standards, which staff summarized as a reduction of 28 cases…
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