Idaho’s public defense system is about to undergo a seismic shift, leaving many attorneys and officials concerned about the future of legal representation in the state.
Beginning Oct. 1, a system 10 years in the making will give the newly formed State Public Defender office broad control over county public defense services. The changes, made in response to lawsuits over the state’s deficiencies in public defense, mean new rules and a pay scale that are already driving experienced attorneys away.
“I am gravely concerned our Idaho State Constitutional mandate to provide representation to indigent persons cannot be met and the new system will fail,” said Kootenai County Commissioner Leslie Duncan. “I always try to remain hopeful, but I am currently not seeing how our mandate will be met.”
Kaye Thornbrugh
Coeur d’Alene / Post Falls Press