WA: help is on the way

Top story in the Olympian:

Public defenders office gets crucial dose of aid
- Money will help ease caseloads

Thurston County's misdemeanor public defense team will get nearly half a million dollars to help the office avoid what some critics said was an impending malpractice lawsuit.

The state Office of Public Defense will offer the county's public defense office between $400,000 and $450,000, enough to hire at least two attorneys and a paralegal...