Public defender shortage looming

By the end of the month, the Kootenai County public defender’s office will be down three attorneys, leaving the remaining nine scrambling to cover a growing caseload.

The departures will mean less time for public defenders to meet with clients, visit crime scenes, do legal research and prepare for court.

Public Defender John Adams has yet to replace Deputy Public Defender Anne Taylor, who quit Aug. 31. Christopher Schwartz and Ed Lawlor will leave by Nov. 1.

Each attorney juggles 200 cases at a time, Adams said. “We’re stressed,” he said. “We have a lot of judges that are operating courtrooms at the same time.”

Adams said attorneys leave his office due to the high stress and low pay. They leave once they “learn the ropes” and find higher-paying jobs at private firms, he said.

“This happens all over the country,” he said. “It’s not just our office.”

He said morale in the office is high, though.

Schwartz did not return a call seeking comment. Lawlor declined to comment for this story.

Taylor said pay was a deciding factor when she left the county to work for the Glen Walker Law Firm.

“The county wages aren’t very good, and they aren’t competitive for people who have quite a few years’ experience,” she said.

Adams said private attorneys make 15 to 20 percent more than those working as public defenders. Starting salary at his office for an attorney just out of law school is around $50,000.

“We lose people because we can’t pay them what the others pay,” he said.

Adams has repeatedly asked Kootenai County commissioners for more attorneys and more pay. This year the county put more money into salaries for employees of the Sheriff’s Department, which also has complained of low pay and high turnover.