SPOKANE, Wash. — A new lawsuit filed out of Pend Oreille County claims Spokane County is failing to meet state standards for public defender caseloads, leaving attorneys overworked and clients without enough time for their defense.
Any time someone is charged with a crime, attorney Toby Marshall says the work public defenders do to take on that case can take time.
“That lawyer is not supposed to just be a warm body. They’re supposed to be someone that really provides effective assistance of counsel that takes time. And our state Supreme Court and our state bar association recognize that it’s it takes time,” said Marshall…