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Public defense and court groups urge more funding to address appellate backlog and misdemeanor representation
Summary
The state Office of Public Defense and judicial stakeholders requested funding to address appellate case backlogs, rising misdemeanor caseloads and training/onboarding for new judges; advocates said proposed funding is a start but more will be needed.
Representatives of the judicial branch, the Office of Public Defense and statewide defender organizations testified that the governor’s proposed funding for public defense and courts is necessary but insufficient to meet current needs.
Larry Jefferson, director of the Office of Public Defense, described an appellate backlog and a surge in misdemeanor cases that has increased demand for counsel. Jefferson said the agency supports the governor’s supplemental and biennial requests but requested additional funding for appellate backlog work, the simple possession and representation program and county/city public defense grants. Ramona Bridal of the Washington Defender Association thanked the governor for package elements that address appellate and sentencing work but urged the Legislature to plan for a larger appropriation to fully reduce caseloads and meet any new Supreme Court caseload standards.
A representative from the Administrative Office of the Courts described judicial branch education as a deferred investment and urged funding for judicial onboarding and operational IT needs that the courts cannot avoid. WDA and public defense groups said they will continue to work with the Legislature and county partners to refine long‑ and short‑term solutions but called the public defense shortage a systemwide problem requiring more than the current proposal.
Ending: Witnesses asked the committee to preserve and expand portions of the governor’s proposal addressing appellate backlog, sentencing review needs, and county public defense grants to reduce caseload pressure and comply with evolving standards.
