PIERRE — At their meeting last week, Hughes County Commissioners tried to get a handle on the massive cost of court-appointed attorneys’ fees the county is paying for. The County has three felony contracts with attorneys and has an on-contract and off-contract rate. One idea discussed was a county-sponsored public defender’s office, but States Attorney Jesscia LaMie says such an office would need four lawyers at the very least…
LaMie says a misdemeanor contract may help slow the siphon…
LaMie says developing a fourth felony contract to handle high-profile felonies is another possible piece to the puzzle…
Commissioners asked LaMie to look into how other counties address their court appointed attorney process and look to continue the conversation at their next meeting in June.
