Defender General asks appropriations panel to preserve contracts, restore training funds as caseloads rise

Defender General Matt Valerio told the Vermont Senate Committee on Appropriations on Oct. 12 that his office’s governor-recommended FY 2026 budget largely continues current service levels but leaves gaps that could worsen a growing case backlog and create local service disruptions.

Valerio said the recommendation preserves funding for staff salaries and benefits and includes a 2% increase for assigned-counsel contracts, but he asked the committee to restore a requested 4% increase for those contracts and to provide $60,000 to resume in-person training for public defenders. "Please give me the $60,000 I need so that I can train my people," Valerio said.

The request matters because Valerio described a sustained rise in cases: fiscal 2024 saw a 7% statewide increase in people the office represents, and the first quarter of fiscal 2025 showed another 6% rise. He told the committee the courts’ clearance rate for criminal cases recently fell to 89%, meaning backlog grew; only four counties made progress on backlog during the period he cited. "We can't turn cases away," Valerio said, describing constitutional and statutory obligations that require the defender office to accept assigned cases.

Valerio outlined several…