PIERRE, (KCCR) — Seven recommendations have been made in a draft report complied by the Indigent Legal Services Task Force on how to possibly cut the cost of legal service to those in South Dakota who can’t afford it. State Court Administrator Greg Sattizahn says recommendation two centers on setting up the day-to-day work of a proposed statewide public defender office…
According to data collected from counties in South Dakota, the office could take one-point-five to two million dollars off the backs of county coffers for appeal and habeas work. Recommendation three would set up the office’s leader, a Chief Public Defender….
Task Force chair Neil Fulton says the office should include a parity of resources…
Two public defenders on the Task Force agreed with Fulton they’d like to see parity of resources addressed in the final report and recommendations.