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Public Defender seeks staff funding as caseloads and community outreach grow
Summary
Kenneth Days, director of the Office of the Public Defender, presented a FY26 budget request that increases personnel funding to support rising appointments, DUI backlog work and community clinics; the office reported roughly 6,000 cases handled this year, 2,000 clients represented and expanded community programming.
Kenneth Days, Director and Chief Public Defender for the city of Atlanta, told council the Office of the Public Defender expects continuing growth in appointed cases and seeks additional FY26 funding to maintain staffing ratios and community programs.
Days told council the office has a full-time staff of 43 with a total authorized position count of 50 and seven vacancies. He said the office “has handled a little bit more than 6,000 cases this year” and has disposed of “just under 1,000” DUI backlog cases; the office also reported representing roughly 2,000 clients and connecting about 526 individuals to social services including housing, employment and substance‑use treatment.
Budget request and staffing rationale
The office’s adopted FY25 budget was $5,484,000; the proposed FY26 budget is $6,058,000, an increase of about 10 percent, driven mainly by personnel costs. Days said roughly 93 percent of the office’s budget is personnel. He and deputy staff told council they are balancing recruitment and retention pressures while aiming to meet American Bar Association guidance on attorney–client ratios.
Community outreach and diversion work
Days emphasized that about 40 percent of the office’s work is outside the courtroom through legal clinics, Know-Your-Rights presentations and community appearances; he said staff have made about 312 community appearances to date in the fiscal year. The office also cited reductions in backlog and described a continuing need to connect clients with social services as some community providers face funding cuts.
Why this matters: The public defender’s budget affects access to counsel, courtroom schedules and community services that can divert people from repeated system involvement. The office asked council to approve the proposed increase to maintain staffing and service delivery.
Discussion vs. decision
Council members asked about differences between FY25 adopted and FY25 projected amounts and about positions and compensation adjustments tied to the city’s compensation study. Finance staff explained that projections in the packet were based on December run rates and that third‑quarter projections will refine the numbers; Days said the office experiences routine attrition and has used some emergency funding previously when needed.
What’s next
Days said the office will continue recruitment and retention efforts, maintain community legal clinics and monitor caseloads to calibrate staffing needs. The mayor’s office, Human Resources and Department of Finance participated in budget planning to align the proposal with citywide compensation and hiring guidance.
