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Circuit public defender asks commissioners for extra attorney and pay boost
Summary
Circuit public defender Ricardo Samper asked the Troup County Board of Commissioners to add one attorney position, raise starting public defender salaries from $65,000 to $72,000, and approve $3,000 cost‑of‑living increases for administrative staff — a request totaling $162,470.08, made to address high caseloads and recruitment losses.
Ricardo Samper, who identified himself as the circuit public defender for the split Coweta circuit, told the board he needs one additional attorney and raises to entry pay to compete for applicants. He said many jurisdictions now start at $72,000 and that his office has lost staff to higher pay elsewhere, leaving some attorneys with heavy caseloads.
"Right now ... we are running over 1,400 active cases right now," Samper said, and cited American Bar Association guidance that suggests a public defender workload target near 150 cases per year. He said staffing losses have required reassigning clients and that training new hires increases delay for people in custody. Samper asked commissioners to approve a new attorney position and raise starting salaries from $65,000 to $72,000; the total increase he cited was $162,470.08 and he also requested $3,000 increases for administrative staff.
Commissioners asked for clarification about current staffing and recruitment. The chair confirmed Samper currently has three attorneys in his office and noted one attorney carries more than 500 cases. Samper said he has replaced one departed attorney but lost two of four superior court attorneys since taking his post. He urged the board to consider the budget request to reduce caseload pressure and improve retention.
Samper suggested the pay change would make the office more competitive: "I think it will" attract more applicants, he said, while acknowledging that public defense cannot match private practice salaries in many cases. The chair thanked Samper for the presentation and invited follow‑up questions.
Next steps: Samper asked the board to take the request into consideration during budget review; no formal vote or budget action was recorded in the provided transcript segments.
