Safe, for now

An update from our friend Accident Prone, in the midst of the Minnesota pd budget crisis:

I am safe. Well, at least my job is.

After considerable cutbacks to the Minnesota State PD Budget, they only have to cut 23 public defenders statewide. However, we are losing about 53 full time PD’s total thanks to other options (voluntary 1-year leave, early retirement, etc.). Our office in Hennepin County is already 14.5 full-time positions in the hole, so we were spared. Caseload and arraignment relief is nowhere in sight. We had to cut all contracts for our conflicts cases (so God only knows what we will do with those).

It’s going to be a hard summer across the state. It will be even more difficult because of the increase in charged crimes in the summer months.