Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Public Defender warns of rising felony referrals, staffing shortfalls and expanding diversion programs
Summary
Chief Public Defender Ellen McDonnell told supervisors caseloads and post-conviction work have surged, citing an 18% increase in misdemeanor referrals and a spike in felony referrals in early 2026; she said public defense faces a 45-position support-staff gap and that retroactive Racial Justice Act work will generate ongoing workload.
Chief Public Defender Ellen McDonnell presented the Office of the Public Defender's FY26-27 budget to the board on April 28, arguing that rising referral volumes, extensive post-conviction work and new mandates have created sustained staffing and resource pressures.
McDonnell said the office handled nearly 13,000 referrals last year and has seen sharply higher caseloads in 2026: "we receive on average about 250 felony cases a month" in 2025,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
