Bartholomew County’s public defenders have too many cases to adequately represent everyone in the court system who needs to be provided an attorney at taxpayer’s expense.

That’s part of the conclusions of the Bartholomew County Public Defenders Board, which was tasked last year to recommend fixes to the overloaded system.

The board presented its findings and recommendations to the County Council this week.

Board members say that the assignments and contracts for public defenders should be taken out from under the county judges, Board member Rob Kittle explains:

Kittle said that the assigning and contracting of public defenders would instead by done by a chief public defender.

Board members say that the number of cases being handled by the 11 local part-time public defenders continue to increase and is now above state standards set by the Indiana Supreme Court. Board member Bud Herron explains:

The board is recommending two part-time defenders be added. The county is spending about half a million dollars a year on public defenders.

The board also looked at an option where the Indiana Supreme Court would pick up 40 percent of the cost of the county public defenders. However, that would also require the county meet all of the state standards and there is no guarantee that the state would continue funding the program indefinitely or at what level it would pay. Under those state guidelines, the county would have to set up a separate public defenders office, parallel to the count prosecutor’s office.

In Bartholomew County, the public defenders pick up the cost of office supplies and expenses such as copying and mailing out of their own contract money and the work is usually done by the attorney’s private law office. The board is also recommending adding a fund to cover those sorts of expenses.