Senate slashes money for public defenders

From The (Macon, GA) Telegraph:

The funding roller coaster continued for Georgia’s public defenders on Tuesday as a key Senate committee slashed their budget to just a fraction of what they had sought to stay afloat.

The midyear budget that passed the Senate Appropriations Committee contained just $513,000 for public defenders to get them through the June 30 end of the fiscal year. Gov. Sonny Perdue had recommended $3.6 million.

“We still believe they have sufficient resources to meet their needs,” Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson, R-Savannah, told reporters.

The move continues a tug-of-war over dollars between the legislative and judicial branches that’s been exacerbated by the high-profile case of Brian Nichols, which has ground to standstill because of a dispute over funding for his defense.

While none of the additional state cash would go to the trial of accused Atlanta courthouse gunman, the case has become a lightening rod and emboldened some who believe the state’s indigent defense lawyers - funded by court fees - are driving up costs unnecessarily.

Sen. Preston Smith, who oversees judicial branch spending, has suggested that death penalty opponents are trying to put an end to capital punishment in Georgia by placing the price tag out of reach.

But officials with the Public Defender Standards Council have said they are wrestling with a jump in capital cases. They warned that without additional state funds they could be forced to furlough their lawyers and support staff for the month of June, bringing the court system to standstill.

House Majority Leader Jerry Keen said Tuesday that far from putting the brakes on capital cases, the additional state funding was needed to allow them to move forward. He called the Senate action “a huge blow to the ability of prosecutors to begin prosecuting these capital cases.”

“This money was to get those trials moving,” the Republican from St. Simons Island said.

There was no immediate comment from the Public Defender Standards Council.

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