Missouri Bar Offers Help to Overworked Public Defenders

Lawyers working for the Missouri Office of Public Defender say they’re handling huge caseloads and need some help. So, The Missouri Bar is coming to the rescue. It’s asking member attorneys to help the public defenders by volunteering time. Doug Copeland, the President-elect of The Bar, says Missouri’s Public Defenders are struggling with caseloads that exceed the national and state standards. National standards are about 225 cases per attorney, Missouri standards call for about 235 cases per lawyer, while Public Defenders are each dealing with about 300 cases or more.