Missouri county judge rules that public defenders must represent assigned cases
August 11, 2010
Missouri: On Tuesday, August 10, Christian County circuit Judge John S. Waters upheld his previous ruling saying that public defenders cannot refuse to represent individuals who claim they cannot afford to hire a private attorney. Waters heard arguments from the Missouri Public Defenders office in Springfield about workload in light of a recent case in which a man asked for a public attorney for a trial in July after having hired a private one for a previous trial in April. Waters ruled that the Public Defenders Office could not decline to assign attorneys because it violated the constitutional rights of the individuals asking to be represented.[1]
Footnotes
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri
State courts:
Missouri Supreme Court • Missouri Court of Appeals • Missouri Circuit Courts • Missouri Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Missouri • Missouri judicial elections • Judicial selection in Missouri
