Public defender warns office is 'in survivor mode,' asks legislature for staff, technology and panel attorney pay Maryland Public Defender Natasha Dartique told a Senate subcommittee that the Office of the Public Defender is understaffed and under-resourced, asking for competitive pay, $2.2 million a year for digital evidence tools, and funding to stabilise the panel-attorney system and meet Assisted Outpatient Treatment obligations.

Maryland's Public Defender Office is operating "in survivor mode," urging lawmakers for urgent resources to handle a skyrocketing caseload and complex cases.

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Legislature approves budget bill for Attorney General and Public Defender funding Legislature allocates $2.2M for Public Defender and modifies Attorney General salary in budget bill.

Maryland lawmakers are making waves with House Bill 350, proposing over $2.2 million in vital funding for public defense services and sparking intense debate over the future of legal representation in the state.

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