Supreme Court moves to save drowning Public Defenders and their clients

Via Harmful Error :

The Nevada Supreme Court concluded [ ] that "by any reasonable standard,
there is currently a crisis in the size of the caseloads for public defenders in
Clark County and Washoe County." . . .

The order adopts performance standards for public defenders that will help ensure that defendants are provided appropriate representation, but stopped short of setting caseload standards for public defenders, which would require additional attorneys in Clark and Washoe counties. . . .

The order noted that the average caseload for a public defender in Clark
County was 364 felony and gross misdemeanor cases and in Washoe County it was
327 cases, while the National Legal Aid and Defender Association has set the
recommended caseload standard at 150 cases.

http://www.harmfulerror.com/2008/01/nevada_supreme_court_adopts_pe.html

Interesting to note the Court ordered changes, but refused to set a caseload standard. I guess it depends on your view of the role of the judiciary, but it seems to me that the order diagnoses a problem and the remedy, but refuses to authorize the required prescription.

Moral of the story: don't get caught in Clark County if you're poor because your Public Defender may not be able to remember your name among the 363 others she has to know.