TN: p.d caseload crisis explained

The Shelbyville Times-Gazette shines some light on the situtation in "Public defenders overloaded, but less so locally":

Public defenders across Tennessee say they're overloaded with criminal cases, but the case load is down slightly in the Bedford County area for at least two reasons. "A lot of that was a result of multiple conflicts of interest," explains Donna Orr Hargrove, the elected public defender...

Another reason for a slightly lower public defender case load locally is the office's newest lawyer, Haley Fults. "We were one of the few districts where the legislature gave us a new defender," Hargrove said, describing Fults as "an excellent attorney."

But case load doesn't tell the whole story. "We're definitely over the number of clients the American Bar Association recommends," Hargrove said.

Another factor is the nature of the public defenders' client. Although some might debate the point, public defenders' clients are generally indigent...

(emphasis added)