Public Defender seeks grant to manage caseload increase
NORWICH – Facing an increasing number of caseloads and limited staffing, the Chenango County Public Defender’s Office is chasing grant funds the department says will help it stay afloat.
Public Defender John Cameron sought approval from the county’s Safety and Rules Committee Wednesday to apply for nearly $30,000 in state issued grants for quality improvement and caseload reduction.
The Public Defender’s Office is handling an unprecedented number of caseloads, Cameron said, which includes DWI cases, a growing number of drug cases, and three open murder cases – and that drains time and resources, he said.
“The amount of time we spend on a murder case versus a DWI case or a drug case is just excessive,” explained Karri Beckwith, administrator for the county public defender’s office. “The amount of documentation and amount of time you have to spend with a client is exorbitant.”
“We’re really going to look very hard at this [grant] because we’re at a point where it’s difficult for us to keep up,” Cameron said. “We’re fully staffed, which is a great thing, but we’re still overwhelmed with all the cases we get, and they’re complicated cases.”
The grant – issued by the State Office of Indigent Legal Services – would benefit the public defender’s office by paying partial salaries, office cell phones, experts in court cases, and miscellaneous expenses.
But state funds aren’t a sure thing. The grant is a reimbursement, meaning if the county was awarded money, it would pay upfront and recoup that money later.
Nevertheless, the grant is a necessity, according to Cameron.
“It’s not a given, but we’re going to put our efforts toward meeting all requirements and giving all the information they need,” he added. “We’re going to find a way to do it. I don’t know what else we would do.”
Public Defender John Cameron sought approval from the county’s Safety and Rules Committee Wednesday to apply for nearly $30,000 in state issued grants for quality improvement and caseload reduction.
The Public Defender’s Office is handling an unprecedented number of caseloads, Cameron said, which includes DWI cases, a growing number of drug cases, and three open murder cases – and that drains time and resources, he said.
“The amount of time we spend on a murder case versus a DWI case or a drug case is just excessive,” explained Karri Beckwith, administrator for the county public defender’s office. “The amount of documentation and amount of time you have to spend with a client is exorbitant.”
“We’re really going to look very hard at this [grant] because we’re at a point where it’s difficult for us to keep up,” Cameron said. “We’re fully staffed, which is a great thing, but we’re still overwhelmed with all the cases we get, and they’re complicated cases.”
The grant – issued by the State Office of Indigent Legal Services – would benefit the public defender’s office by paying partial salaries, office cell phones, experts in court cases, and miscellaneous expenses.
But state funds aren’t a sure thing. The grant is a reimbursement, meaning if the county was awarded money, it would pay upfront and recoup that money later.
Nevertheless, the grant is a necessity, according to Cameron.
“It’s not a given, but we’re going to put our efforts toward meeting all requirements and giving all the information they need,” he added. “We’re going to find a way to do it. I don’t know what else we would do.”
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