Hampton public defender asks council to consider supplement to retain attorneys, cites turnover and travel burdens

Hampton — Matthew Johnson, director of the Hampton Public Defender’s Office, asked the City Council during a work session to consider a local supplement to the office’s state funding to improve recruitment and retention of attorneys and support staff.

Johnson told the council that about 75% of criminal defendants in Hampton are represented by the public defender’s office and said the office is experiencing turnover and recruitment challenges. “What I'm asking you to consider is a 3,000 $300,000 supplement to our office,” Johnson said in his presentation packet and remarks, adding that the supplement would be used to “recruit and retain good attorneys.”

Johnson described the office’s workload and staffing: the office is authorized for 16 attorney positions and nine support staff positions but is short several barred attorneys at the moment; he…