It’s no secret that public defenders have long been asked to take on too many cases, reducing their ability to provide adequate counsel to defendants as guaranteed by both the U.S. and Washington state constitutions.
But in recent years, professional organizations have determined attorneys have an ethical duty to challenge excessive caseloads, with the Washington State Bar Association putting forward new caseload maximums in March 2024 (to roll out over three years starting in July 2025) and the Washington Supreme Court subsequently ordering even lower caseloads to start in January 2026.
It’s part of the reason the directors of Spokane County’s two public defense offices are now suing Spokane County to ask a judge to weigh in on their attorneys’ caseloads…