Last year, the Missouri Public Defender System had more than 5,800 cases on a waiting list for services. Director Mary Fox tells Missourinet no one is on the waiting list. The Missouri Legislature passed and Governor Parson signed into law a state budget this year that included hiring 53 public defenders to help get rid of the waiting list.
The waiting list was created in 2017. A court ruled that putting individuals on a waiting list to get public defender services violates state and federal law. Director Mary Fox tells Missourinet no one is currently on the waiting list but things are not perfect.
Fox tells Missourinet the list was eliminated on November 30, one month ahead of her goal. Fox says meeting that goal is something to celebrate but the office is still understaffed, by about 30 attorneys.
