Price of public defense going up in Asotin County

ASOTIN — The amount of money the state sends Asotin County to cover the cost of public defense is a “slap in the face,” said Commissioner Brian Shinn.

Counties are mandated to provide attorneys to people who can’t afford them, and the cost in Asotin County is roughly $850,000 a year. The state’s Office of Public Defense is providing $31,560 to help cover that expense in 2025.

“This is having a horrendous effect on counties,” said Commissioner Chuck Whitman at Tuesday’s regular board meeting. “It’s a train wreck.”

The state recently reduced caseloads for public defenders, and the new standards are making it even more costly, Shinn said. In addition, it’s getting more difficult to find qualified attorneys willing to take on a contract, especially in smaller counties where they can make more money in private practice.

Chris Kemp, chief operating officer, said several attorneys currently have contracts for indigent defense in Asotin, including Kim Traver, who works on juvenile cases; Nick Ward, who handles initial hearings and bond reviews; Bridget Barr, Richard Cuddihy and Randy Reed, who represent defendants in Superior Court; and Joe Schumacher, who handles misdemeanor cases in District Court and some felonies in Superior Court.

Spokane attorney John Perry’s public defense contract with Asotin County has been terminated and will expire at the end of this year, officials said. Ward has submitted a proposal for the board’s review to work in that capacity in both District and Superior Court, Kemp said.

Because it is a Constitutional requirement and mandated by the state of Washington, the Office of Public Defense should be paying the lion’s share of the bill instead of counties, Kemp said.

Many counties are suffering because of the staggering costs, and some cases wind up being dismissed, officials said. Counties are being forced to move forward with prosecuting only “the worst of the worst” criminal offenses at this point.

“My stomach is turning,” Whitman said while signing off on the state’s contribution to the county’s public defender expenses. “It’s a very poor situation.”

In other county business:

The Asotin County Clerk’s Office and District Court Clerk’s Office will both be closed to the public Nov. 20-22 to catch up on the backlog that was caused by a statewide system outage that occurred earlier this month at the Administrative Office of the Courts. The outage caused major disruptions in courts across Washington.

Clerk McKenzie Campbell said a drop box in the courthouse parking lot in Asotin can be used during those two days for new filings. The box will be checked daily.

During a report on the proposed sleep center for the unhoused, Whitman said the nonprofit group working on the project is still searching for 1.5 acres close to Clarkston. To date, no available, affordable vacant property has been secured.

Next Monday’s regular commissioner meeting has been canceled, and the board will meet again on Nov. 25.

Sandaine can be reached at kerris@lmtribune.com.