Judges and county officials describe public‑defender shortage and rising juvenile caseloads; commissioners consider asking legislature for help

Judicial officers and county leaders used a long May 20 discussion to describe what they called a crisis in court‑appointed counsel, rising juvenile and abuse/neglect caseloads, and the budgetary strain those obligations impose on small counties.

County staff told the commission the Sixth Judicial District is "at peak crisis with public defenders," and said the district is allotted seven public defenders but was operating with only one full‑time attorney and some contracts. The transcript records that, in one county, the public defender's office had stopped accepting misdemeanor appointments and that judges were instead appointing private attorneys paid by the counties or the court.

A district judge (referred to in the meeting as Judge Healy) and other judicial participants explained statutory duties the court must follow. The judges…