LINCOLNTON, N.C. — Cleveland and Lincoln counties will have their first, full-time public defenders office after a new state budget signed into law last month increased funding for the North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services (IDS).
According to Mary Pollard, IDS' executive director, if someone currently needs an attorney in Cleveland or Lincoln counties, but they can’t afford one, a judge assigns them representation from a roster of private attorneys who volunteer to be included in the list.
"Because of the low rates paid to court-appointed counsel, there aren't enough attorneys available to do the work," Pollard said.
She said the lack of a dedicated public defender's office can lead to months-long delays in getting people's cases through the court system. Such a delay can effectively pause the lives of victims and people who, according to Pollard, mainly get in trouble for low-level misdemeanors.
"A good attorney can help them mitigate the consequences and hopefully get their life back on track," Pollard said. "[To] be able to work, be able to support their family, stay out of jail or out of the state prison system, which is very expensive."
Currently, only 35 of North Carolina's 100 counties have public defenders offices with Cleveland and Lincoln counties being numbers 36 and 37, respectively.
In the greater Charlotte area, only Mecklenburg and Gaston counties currently have public defenders offices.
Pollard hopes the state will eventually fund offices in every county.
"It's critically important. It's really important that there’s a strong public defense presence in your community," Pollard said.
Pollard said the local bar association will meet and vote to submit the names of at least two candidates to the counties' senior resident judge, who will then appoint one of the candidates to the role of the chief public defender.
Pollard hopes the appointment will be made as early as February 2022.