SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico public defenders are returning the state Supreme Court, asking it to address their funding problems.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports (https://bit.ly/2nT5foE ) that the Law Offices of the Public Defender filed a petition Tuesday asking the state Supreme to order private attorney to represent low-income defendants for free or implement a cut off number for new cases alleging minor, nonviolent crimes.
Chief Defender Bennett Baur says he knows these suggestions are extreme and not perfect, but he think they will solve LOPD’s low-funding and high caseload problems.
Court filings also ask the Supreme Court to find more long-term solutions.
In 2016, the state supreme court said it would not intervene on the issue. A district court stated February that the public attorneys have been providing adequate representation to defendants despite their limited resources.
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Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, https://www.sfnewmexican.com
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