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Lacey Council adopts state-aligned indigent defense standards; officials warn of multi-year cost and staffing impacts
Summary
The Lacey City Council adopted Ordinance 16-89 to update local indigent defense caseload standards to reflect a Washington Supreme Court interim order phasing case limits from 400 to 120 per attorney by 2036. Staff warned of an early-year fiscal impact; council members said state support will be needed for implementation.
The Lacey City Council on Dec. 16 adopted Ordinance 16-89 to align the city's indigent defense rules with an interim Washington State Supreme Court order that phases down caseload limits for public defenders.
Shannon (Speaker 8), presenting the ordinance, said the court's partial interim order (dated in 2025) requires a gradual reduction from the local standard of 400 cases per attorney toward 120 cases per attorney by 2036, with an annual phased reduction of at least 10 percent of the difference between the current and new standards. "The implementation could be accomplished in a phased approach," Shannon…
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