County approves Indigent Defense Agreement

St. Joseph County officials last week approved the 2019 Indigent Defense Agreement.

County administrator Teresa Doehring said the agreement represents a 2 percent increase compared to the 2018 agreement. The county’s allocation for the agreement is $567,528.

Doehring said the caseload of indigent clients averages about 25 weekly.

According to terms of the seven-page agreement, there will be the full-time equivalent of at least six attorneys available to provide their services for clients who qualify for a court-appointed attorney.