Public defender relief is coming

[hrmjustin]

Alysia Santo

Struggling with sometimes unmanageable caseloads, public defenders in the Capital Region may soon get a bit of relief as more than $1 million in state money will soon flow into local offices to hire more attorneys.

The funds come from grants dispersed throughout New York by the Office of Indigent Legal Services (OILS), the state's first program for guiding the quality of assigned counsel.

Earlier in the year, OILS distributed $12 million to 25 counties to fund programs that ensure defendants have attorneys when they make their first appearances before a judge.

Now OILS is working to disperse an additional $12 million to counties across New York to reduce caseloads.

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Public-defender-relief-is-coming-5501883.php