NORWICH – The Chenango County Public Defender’s Office will see a $186,000 boost in New York State aid to help with expenses incurred as the result of the state’s Discovery Reform Program.

New York’s Discovery Reform Law, which took effect in 2020, requires prosecutors to turn over all materials that relate to the subject matter of a case no later than 15 days after an individual has been arraigned for an alleged crime. 

The state legislature’s passage of the law put New York State on par with 46 other states operating under a similar system, but also put severe financial strain on local prosecution and defense attorneys’ offices.

In response, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services has doled out funding to counties to support public defense services and expenses related to the Discovery Reform Law. Funds can be used for evidence transmission technology, administrative support, computers, hardware and operating software, data connectivity, training materials, staff training, overtime expenses, or additional personnel or increased compensation to reflect additional responsibilities related to Discovery.