First Public Defender Office in Missouri Goes 'Nuclear'

Summary

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The possible has become actual: Missouri's public defender system has, for the first time, closed a district office to any new cases.

The system's 31st District, which defends clients in Greene, Christian and Taney counties, will not accept any new cases until Aug. 1.

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Extract

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First Public Defender Office in Missouri Goes 'Nuclear'

Next month, and for every month after, once the office's 20 public defenders hit their collective monthly cap for attorney work hours - 2,591 hours - the office will shut its doors to new clients.

The Springfield office is the first to close to new clients since December 2009, when the Missouri Supreme Court unanimously approved a so-called "nuclear option" to the system's caseload crisis.

The Missouri State Public De...

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