Wyoming’s public-defender system has long suffered from inadequate funding and high caseloads. In addition, public defenders in the state work with antiquated records systems and clients caught in cycles of addiction and poverty. With support from the Fund, David Dudley reported on systemic problems in Wyoming through the case of one woman, Aja Johnson, who was represented by an overburdened and under-resourced public defender. When Johnson was being sentenced on charges in one county, she didn’t appear in court because she was in jail for unrelated charges in another county. As a result, Johnson wasn’t able to get a plea deal that would have let her get drug treatment. Jonhson’s was one of 123 cases the public defender was juggling on a part-time schedule, Dudley reported.
Grantee examines ‘ticking time bomb’ facing Wyoming’s public defenders and their clients
