Public Defender's Office Requests Third Full-Time Attorney for 2027

From the Blackford County Council Budget Workshop #2 & Regular Meeting on August 5, 2026

The Blackford County public defender's office presented caseload data to the county council supporting a request for a third full-time public defender in the 2027 budget.

The office currently employs two full-time public defenders — the chief and one staff attorney — plus six hourly contract attorneys. In the first half of 2026, two of those hourly attorneys billed a combined $69,658: one handled 51 misdemeanor cases for $32,010 and another handled 22 higher-level cases for $37,648. At that pace, hourly billings would reach approximately $140,000 for the full year.

A third full-time attorney would cost approximately $67,200 in salary plus $13,000 in benefits — roughly $75,000 to $80,000 total. That would replace two hourly positions and save the county an estimated $60,000 to $70,000 annually.

The savings case strengthens in 2027: the state-mandated hourly rate for contract public defenders is increasing from $110 to $120 per hour.

The presenter, who is transitioning to the county prosecutor's office in January 2027, noted that as prosecutor he plans to resolve some misdemeanor cases at initial hearings, potentially diverting more than 40 cases from the public defender's office and saving an additional estimated $40,000 per year.

The submitted 2027 budget includes three full-time public defenders at a total department cost of $147,840. The budget goes to appeals on August 19.

Source: YouTube transcript — Blackford County Council Budget Workshop #2 & Regular Meeting, August 5, 2026

Some information may be inaccurate due to video audio quality.