Juvenile law – NWSidebar

The Great Human-Processing Contraption: A Day in the Life of a Benton County Public Defender

The WSBA Board of Governors adopted new caseload standards for indigent defense services, as recommended by the Council on Public Defense (CPD), aiming to mend the collapsing public defense system in Washington. The standards, not binding yet, recommend a significant drop in caseload limits for felony and misdemeanor cases. However, vacancy rates for defense attorneys pose a challenge, and the system remains overloaded, contributing to delays and concerns about fair representation.

Washington Supreme Court Delivers Resounding Defense of Indian Child Welfare Act and the Rights of Tribal Nations

Last month, the Washington Supreme Court affirmed core provisions in the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), ensuring that the law’s protections are applied early enough to prevent the unnecessary removal of Native children from their families.

MiChance Dunlap-Gittens’ Ordinance Will Help Protect Kids from Coercive Police Tactics

This new law attempts to protect vulnerable youth by requiring law enforcement to connect a youth to a public defender after the youth has been Mirandized but before the youth waives their right to remain silent or talk to an attorney. Public defender Katie Hurley explains.