Fox 28: South Bend, Elkhart IN News, Weather, SportsVanderburgh public defenders near record caseload
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Associated Press - November 24, 2009 4:04 AM ET
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) - Public defenders in Vanderburgh County are on pace for a record caseload this year.
The Vanderburgh County Public Defenders Agency says 2,053 felony cases had been filed in the county's superior and circuit courts as of September, and public defenders have been appointed in 1,375 of those cases.
Chief Public Defender Steve Owens says the previous record year was 2007, when the defenders handled 1,722 cases.
A public defender is appointed when a defendant in a criminal case is determined to not have any money to pay for a lawyer.
Owens tells the Evansville Courier & Press the increase may be due to the economy or stiffer penalties for certain crimes, including domestic violence.
The agency has five full-time and 21 part-time attorneys.
Information from: Evansville Courier & Press, http://www.courierpress.com
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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