Missouri State Public Defender's office in Jackson may move to larger space

The public defender�s office in Jackson will likely move to a new location soon, according to county officials.

At Monday�s regular Cape Girardeau County Commission meeting, Commissioner Charlie Herbst said by Missouri law, the county provides office space and utilities for the public defender�s office.

In this case, the public defender�s office serves five counties: Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Perry, Mississippi and Scott, according to Kathleen Lear, comptroller with the state public defender system, speaking by phone Monday.

Nine assistant public defenders and a district defender and deputy district defender work out of the office, she added.

�They�ve outgrown that space,� Herbst said, referring to the office adjacent to the sheriff�s department, at 215 N. High St. in Jackson.

The Missouri State Public Defender Area 32 office is seen Monday on North High Street in Jackson.KASSI JACKSON

Herbst said he�s located office space on U.S. 61, north of the existing office, across from Liberty Utilities, he believes will suit the office.

There will be some minor renovations, he said, but �I think that may work out.�

Herbst said he will get information back from the landlord there, so the commissioners may review the lease before approval.

Of the other counties served by the office, Herbst said, �I�ve spoken to commissioners in other counties and nobody�s in opposition.�

Commissioner Paul Koeper said in two years, when the new county Justice Center is complete, there may be space for the public defender�s office in that building.

Herbst added the existing public defender�s office needs some renovation, which isn�t easily done when the building is occupied.

The goal is to have the move completed by the first of the year, Herbst said.

Lear said she is excited at the prospect of a new space.

�We�ve been in the space we�re in for about 15 or 17 years, and obviously, we�ve outgrown the space,� Lear said, citing the absence of a meeting space or conference room.

�There�s no room to do a deposition,� Lear said, adding the deposition is usually given at the prosecutor�s office because of the lack of space and privacy at the current public defender�s office.

And everything�s full, she said. Boxes of closed case files line the hallways, and former meeting spaces now hold offices.

From that building, last fiscal year, Lear said, representation in more than 2,800 cases was provided, �ranging from homicides to probation violations. It�s a lot of cases.�

About 68 percent are felony cases, she noted.

Lear said she thinks the project will happen �pretty quickly. I think that�s the intent.�

When the move is complete, she said, an open house will be scheduled for the public and for multiple commissions the office works with.

�I certainly appreciate Cape County taking the lead on this,� Lear said.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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