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Missouri public defenders stuck between high caseloads, low budgets

By Maria Altman, St. Louis Public Radio

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kwmu/local-kwmu-868713.mp3

St. Louis – When someone is accused of a crime and they cannot afford to pay an attorney, the courts appoint a public defender. A recent study says the Missouri public defender system is in crisis, with far too many cases and too few attorneys. After years of asking for, and not getting, more state funding, public defenders say something must change or the system will collapse. St. Louis Public Radio's Maria Altman reports.

Listen to Tony Manansala's song "Public Defender" to the tune of Billy Joel's "The Entertainer."

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