DENVER (CN) — A former public defender who claims he was fired for reporting he was saddled with too many cases asked a Denver judge on Friday to send his whistleblower complaint to a jury.
“It breaks my heart that the public defenders in this case are taking an adversarial position, because our interests are aligned,” said civil rights attorney David Lane, who represents former Colorado public defender Travis Weiner.
As a public defender, Weiner found himself juggling a triple-digit caseload in 2024. The magnitude of the caseload, he feared, could force him to violate professional standards and offer subpar representations. Worse, he thought the entire office faced the same risk. When he reported his concerns to his supervisors, Weiner was told dropping cases wasn’t an option…