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Local attorneys warn Centre County faces shortage of lawyers for indigent criminal and child-welfare cases
Summary
Three Centre County private attorneys told county commissioners that an aging private bar and difficulty recruiting younger lawyers are creating a growing shortage of counsel for indigent criminal defendants and dependency hearings under state statute.
Three local private-practice attorneys told the Centre County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 1 that the county faces a growing shortage of lawyers willing to represent indigent criminal defendants and serve in child-welfare (CYS) dependency hearings. They urged the commissioners to meet with the bar to discuss options, including paid positions or other incentives to attract attorneys.
"We really don't have that many younger attorneys in this county anymore," said Ron McLaughlin, a Bellefonte-based lawyer who said he has accepted court appointments for years. He described a pattern in which a small number of lawyers cover cases across several neighboring counties and warned that the workload is becoming unsustainable.
McLaughlin and two colleagues—Tonya Turquato, a partner at…
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