Brown County Judge Thomas Walsh in court virtually on Aug. 7, 2023 discussing the public defenders shortage lawsuit. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A Brown County judge plans to issue preliminary rulings in about a month in a lawsuit seeking to force the state to provide public defender attorneys to suspects within two weeks of charges being filed.
Last year, eight current and former inmates filed suit in Brown County against Gov. Evers and the state Public Defender Board. They contend their Constitutional rights are being violated by delays caused by a lack of attorneys to handle such cases.
In one Green Bay murder case, for example, the state contacted more than 500 attorneys without finding one, leading to delays.
The state has asked for the case to be dismissed, arguing there’s no authority for the court to impose such an order. Currently, there are eight plaintiffs, but they are seeking to expand the case into a class action lawsuit. Both sides have submitted their arguments on those issues.
Meanwhile, the plaintiffs are pressing for the state to provide update statistics on how many suspects do not have attorneys, what they are charged with, and how long they have been waiting.
But in court Monday, Judge Thomas Walsh put a hold on discovery – the process by which the attorneys gather information and evidence from the other side – until he makes rulings on the pending motions before him. He anticipates those decisions will come soon, perhaps later this month, and then the attorneys will have a clearer idea on what issues, if any, remain to be litigated.
No trial date has been set.
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