Missouri Public Defender System

The Buzz Westfall Justice Center in Clayton, Mo., the county seat of St. Louis County.

Defendants who had attorneys at early hearings spent less time in jail, study shows

Rachel Lippmann

The public defender in St. Louis County used funding from the MacArthur Foundation to pay for two attorneys who handle nothing but initial appearances in nonviolent felony cases.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner speaks before the Board of Aldermen's Public Safety Committee on Oct. 3, 2017.

Law & Order

‘A Troubling Reality’: Problems At Circuit Attorney’s Office Stall Reform Agenda

Sarah Fenske

Matthew Mahaffey, St. Louis district defender for the Missouri State Public Defender, explains how problems at the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office are affecting his clients — and harming Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's reform agenda.

St. Louis Public Radio and other local news outlets took a guided tour of the Medium Security Institution, also known as the Workhouse, in March 2018.

Law & Order

Missouri’s Public Defender Funding Is At The Fore After Big Court Win

Sarah Fenske

Cole County Circuit Court Judge William E. Hickle ruled last month that the Missouri Office of State Public Defender violated the constitutional rights of indigent people awaiting trial by forcing them to wait for weeks, and even months, before being assigned an attorney. Tony Rothert of the ACLU of Missouri and state Rep. Tony Lovasco discussed what comes next on "St. Louis on the Air."

Government, Politics & Issues

St. Louis County Set To Start Client Waitlist For Public Defenders

Rachel Lippmann

Some criminal defendants in St. Louis County who cannot afford an attorney may face more delays in getting one.The court will start a waitlist for public…

U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin, speaks to supporters and media on Tuesday night. She defeated Democratic challenger Cort VanOstran in Missouri's 2nd Congressional District.

Government, Politics & Issues

Politically Speaking: On Missouri's 2nd Congressional District Race, Public Defender Woes

Julie O'Donoghue

On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Julie O’Donoghue and Jason Rosenbaum break down the big stories that have made…

Government, Politics & Issues

Deal Reached To Reduce Missouri Public Defender Workloads

Rachel Lippmann

The ACLU of Missouri and the state’s public defender system have reached a deal meant to ensure that low-income defendants are properly represented when…

Government, Politics & Issues

Reduce The Use Of Cash Bail? There's An App For That

Rachel Lippmann

The lead public defender in St. Charles County says a new mobile phone app he helped design could reduce the need for cash bail.Michael Sato and a team of…

Government, Politics & Issues

Judge finds St. Louis County public defenders have unconstitutionally high caseloads

Rachel Lippmann

Updated March 21 at 6:15 p.m. with additional comments — The presiding judge in St. Louis County has ruled that nearly 80 percent of the circuit’s public…

Missouri public defenders are troubled by a decision handed down by the Missouri Supreme Court last month suspending a lawyer in the PD's Columbia office.

Many Missouri Public Defenders Decline New Cases After State Supreme Court Disciplines Lawyer

Dan Margolies

The chronically underfunded Missouri public defender system is now dealing with another vexing issue: the prospect that its overworked attorneys could...

Government, Politics & Issues

Graphic: How do Missouri's public defenders stack up?

As we reported recently, the public defender system in Missouri is underfunded and the attorneys say they are severely overworked. Just how overworked? We Live Here decided to break it down for you with this little state-by-state graphic that shows how much Missouri is spending compared to other states.