The Missouri Senate Judiciary Committee fielded public comment on Monday for a bill that would create a specific fund for the Missouri State Public Defender’s office. Senator Lauren Arthur of Kansas City sponsors the bill. She says under current law any funds from government grants, private gifts or other sources made to the Office of Public Defenders must be deposited into the general revenue fund without the office even necessarily being aware. Mary Fox is the director of the State Public Defenders Office. She says that the new fund would allow Missouri to be first in line to receive federal funds from the Department of Justice’s Equal Defense Act.
Last year’s grant allowed them to hire fifty-three more attorneys. According to the Public Defender Commission Budget Request for 2023, though, the courts are still experiencing significant delays due to a lack of support staff. There’s currently one investigator for every eight attorneys in the state.
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