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Okanogan County adopts ordinance creating Office of Public Defense amid staffing and timing concerns
Summary
After a lengthy public hearing, Okanogan County commissioners adopted Ordinance 2024-6 to establish an Office of Public Defense covering the county; contractors and defense administrators urged caution about staffing, transition timing and fiscal impacts.
Okanogan County commissioners voted to adopt Ordinance 2024-6 on Dec. 30, 2024, establishing an Office of Public Defense for the county and authorizing the creation of an in‑county public defender office funded from current expense funds.
The ordinance, read into the record by staff, cites state authorizations in RCW chapter 36.26 and indigent-defense standards in RCW 10.101 and directs the county to form a selection committee and designate a public defender whose term would coincide with the prosecuting attorney as required by statute. Esther (county staff) summarized the ordinance language and the administrative steps that would follow if the board adopted the measure.
Why it matters: speakers from local contracting and indigent-defense providers told the board the change could disrupt…
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