News and Information

Washington Public Defense Caseload Standards

The Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL) submitted a letter to the Washington Supreme Court Rules Committee in support of essential changes to public defense caseload standards in Washington state. These proposed changes, if adopted, will gradually lower caseload limits for public defenders over the coming years, addressing a long-standing concern in the public defense community.

The amendments to CrR 3.1, CrRLJ 3.1, and JuCR 9.2 were developed after two years of research and consultation with public defense stakeholders statewide, led by the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Council on Public Defense. Earlier this year, the WSBA formally adopted the new standards, and the Supreme Court’s Rules Committee held a public comment period to gather input, receiving approximately 650 statements from individuals and organizations statewide.

In its letter, WACDL underscores the essential role defense attorneys play in ensuring justice:

"Justice is not self-executing or automatic. Because our justice system is adversarial, we necessarily rely on the advocacy of defense attorneys to ensure that justice is done, and our state and federal constitutional rights are protected and upheld. Just outcomes—jury acquittals of the innocent; dismissals of those wrongly accused; reductions for those over-charged; and fair sentencing outcomes based on mitigating circumstances or youth—do not happen on their own. Rather, they are the product of hard work by individual criminal defense attorneys—often public defenders. Frequently, that hard work is limited by resources and an overwhelming caseload.”

WACDL President Cooper Offenbecher expressed the importance of WACDL’s support for these standards and the organization’s role in advocating for change:

"One of our most important roles as a professional organization is to advocate for institutional change that will support criminal defense lawyers in their fight for justice, fulfilling core tenets of our mission—specifically, fostering the integrity and expertise of criminal defense lawyers; promoting the fair and just administration of criminal justice; and ensuring due process and defending the rights secured by law for all persons accused of crime. Supporting lower caseload standards for public defenders undeniably furthers our mission.”

WACDL respectfully urges the Washington Supreme Court to adopt lower caseload standards and calls on the Washington legislature to ensure indigent defense is adequately funded to protect the right to counsel guaranteed under both state and federal constitutions.

You can read the full letter here.