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Public Defender director defends staffing and second‑chance hiring after lawmakers demand termination of employee tied to 2007 child death investigation
Summary
Lawmakers demanded the Missouri State Public Defender Commission seek termination after learning an employee, previously convicted on charges tied to conduct surrounding a 2007 child's death, was hired and later rehired; the director defended the agency's hiring rules and noted the commission revised its policy after lawmakers' letters.
The Missouri State Public Defender’s director told the House Budget Committee the agency is an independent department that provides representation to indigent defendants and that its hiring policies permit hiring people with prior convictions in many circumstances — a stance that drew sharp criticism from several members of the committee.
Mary Fox, director of the Missouri State Public Defender, said the agency represents about 56,000 new cases a year, employs roughly 700 people and operates 47 offices. Fox told the committee the agency is "the independent department of the judiciary that provides representation to those persons who are in the criminal justice system who have either a felony, a misdemeanor, an appeal, a post conviction case" and said the…
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