It appears to be doing what it was intended to do. The Allen County Public Defender's Office has a year under its belt and has seen cases move more efficiently through the courts.
The public defender’s office started taking criminal and juvenile cases back in March of 2021 and are pleased with the progress they have made representing their clients. Meeting Tuesday with Commissioners, Allen County Public Defender Kenneth Sturgill updated them on their caseload and touched on the budget. Their budget, just under 950,000 dollars is being reimbursed by the Ohio Public Defender’s Office at 100%. Sturgill says they have been able to streamline their process.
Kenneth Sturgill Allen County Public Defender explains, “There are no distractions, we’re not running around to other courthouses in other counties, all of our time is devoted to one thing. That has allowed us to be available for the courts whenever they need us for scheduling purposes which makes things more efficient. We specialize in one thing, and we do it well. So, we’re able to communicate with the clients better and get them in a position that they’re comfortable to make a decision moving forward with on how they want to dispose of the case.”
With 12 employees, the public defender’s office has streamlined its operation and increased client satisfaction in the process.
