Prosecutors & public defenders face budget cuts amid COVID-19 backlog
โWe had been getting in a good area as far as pending felony cases,โ Public Defender Charlie Cofer said. State attorneys, lawyers and public defenders worked to resolve cases through plea deals and through virtual court hearings. Besides a growing caseload, the Public Defenderโs Office and State Attorneyโs Office were required to submit plans to the state in August to show what their operations might look like with significant budget cuts in place. The State Attorneyโs Office was asked to detail the impact of an 8.5 percent budget reduction for the next fiscal year. The State Attorneyโs Office plans to work with lawmakers and others to preserve current funding levels.