How to Solve the Public Defender Shortage in Rural America w/Patrick Crowley, Michael Naughton and Jonathan Sacks

Jun 28

Today, Hunter spoke with Patrick Crowley, Michael Naughton and Jonathan Sacks to talk through the attorney shortage crisis in rural America and what we can do to reverse the trend. While today’s episode focuses a lot on what is happening in rural Michigan, make no mistake, this is a problem facing nearly every state in the country. As rural, small town America has declined over the past decades, it has become harder and harder to entice young public defenders, laden with outrageous student debt, to want to practice in the rural parts of a state. So what can be done? With this conversation, Hunter hopes to spark new conversations and solutions to a problem that is seemingly only getting worse as the years go by.

Guests:

Patrick Crowley, Chief Public Defender, Marquette County, Michigan

Michael Naughton, Attorney and Partner, North Coast Legal, PLC.

Jonathan Sacks, Director, Michigan State Appellate Defender Office

Resources:

Michael’s Report on the Issue

https://michiganidc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/M.-Naughton-Report-Attorney-Shortages.pdf

SADO.org

https://sado.org/

MIDC

https://michiganidc.gov/

Marquette County Public Defender