MISSOURI STATE PUBLIC DEFENDER SYSTEM
Director’s Office

Woodrail Centre
1000 West Nifong, Building 7, Suite 100
Columbia, Missouri 65203
Telephone: 573-526-5212  Fax: 573-777-9975

Official Statement – For Immediate Release

August 26, 2016 (COLUMBIA, MO)

New Public Defender Commissioners

This statement is being released in response to the Governor’s appointment of three new members to the Public Defender Commission. If confirmed, this will be the first time in seven years that the Commission will be operating at full capacity. Until just two years ago, the Public Defender Commission had only two members.

“Missouri’s Public Defender System was not a high priority of the Governor’s office for quite some time. We are hoping that Governor Nixon’s renewed interest in the system, as illustrated by finally making these three appointments, will not end here,” said Riley Bock, Chair of the Public Defender Commission.

“We welcome the three new members to the Commission: Oliver Glenn Boyer, of Crystal City; Thomas W. Neer, of Defiance; and James J. Sievers, of Des Peres,” said Bock. “This also results in the end of Commissioner Doug Copeland’s service on the commission. Doug was our longest serving member, and, of course, we will miss his experience.”

Michael Barrett, Director of MSPD added: “We welcome new perspectives as we continue efforts to make sure that the right to counsel remains guaranteed to indigent persons who are charged with a criminal offense.”

The other members of the commission are Charles Jackson, of Fulton; Craig Chval, of Columbia; and Christa Hogan, of Springfield.

Missouri Public Defender Commission
Phone: 573-526-5212

MISSOURI STATE PUBLIC DEFENDER SYSTEM
Director’s Office

Woodrail Centre
1000 West Nifong, Building 7, Suite 100
Columbia, Missouri 65203
Telephone: 573-526-5212 Fax: 573-777-9975

Official Statement – For Immediate Release

August 9, 2016 (COLUMBIA, MO)

Public Defender Response to Governor’s Comments

On the claim that the Public Defender left approximately $1.8 million unspent last fiscal year.

Not so. Attached is a screen shot of the Public Defender’s balance in July of 2016. It shows that a total of $0.52 remained in MSPD’s General Revenue balance sheet for FY2016. What the Governor is mistakenly referring to is not available cash but rather the appropriation authority for certain accounts, the largest of which is the Legal Defense and Defender Fund (LDDF). “Appropriation authority” is the authority granted by the legislature to spend up to a certain amount. The legislature set MSPD’s appropriation authority for LDDF at $2,983,393. That would mean that MSPD could spend up to $2.983 million if indeed that amount existed. However, MSPD only received $1.362 million in the LDDF account for FY2016. The $1.8 million is the difference between the funding authority for these accounts and the actual amount spent.

Legal Defense and Defender Fund (LDDF) This fund is separate from the appropriation used to fund MSPD’s operating expenses (e.g., personnel and expense and equipment costs). It is funded through collections of fees paid by clients. The funding that goes into this account is used to fund training and one-time purchases such as computers, copiers and office moves.

On the claim that the Governor increased Public Defender Funding by 15% since 2009.

The Governor’s statement represents all funding, including a significant amount appropriated to MSPD for purposes other than hiring attorneys to deliver legal services. For instance, the Governor includes this year’s 2% increase in salary for all state employees despite the fact that this in no way translates into more resources to fulfill MSPD’s core function. When looking at just the increase in resources that assist with delivering legal services, the actual increase is between 5-6% since 2009.

However, during this same period, MSPD’s costs (e.g., experts, depositions, etc) have increased approximately 18% and, just over the last year, the number of cases has increased 12% (from approximately 74,000 to 82,000). As a result, MSPD has less resources now than it did in 2009. In 2014, the ABA released a report that indicated MSPD needed more than 250 additional attorneys. Only ten new positions were created since 2009; however, because of increased costs, MSPD was unable to fund 30 positions during the prior fiscal year. Further, MSPD has remained 49th among the 50 states in public defense funding and the Department of Justice has stated that MSPD does not have enough attorneys to provide constitutional representation.

Michael Barrett, Director
Missouri Public Defender System
Phone: 573-526-5212
Email: Michael.Barrett@mspd.mo.gov

Twitter: Follow at @MoDefender1

Press_Release-8-9-16

8/5/2016 3:56 PM KL

MISSOURI STATE PUBLIC DEFENDER SYSTEM
Director’s Office

Woodrail Centre
1000 West Nifong, Building 7, Suite 100Columbia, Missouri 65203
Telephone: 573-526-5212 Fax: 573-777-9975

For Immediate Release

Michael P. Mahon Selected as a Recipient of the 2016 Lon O. Hocker Award

June 15, 2016 (COLUMBIA, MO) The Missouri State Public Defender System is excited to announce that Michael P. Mahon, a trial attorney for the Missouri State Public Defender, St. Louis City trial office, is a recipient of the 2016 Lon O. Hocker Award. This award is presented annually by The Missouri Bar Foundation to young lawyers who have demonstrated exceptional proficiency in the art of trial advocacy.
Mahon attended college at Regis University in Denver, Colorado, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and History. He then attended St. Louis University School of Law earning his Juris Doctorate in 2009. That same year, Mahon began working for the Missouri State Public Defender in the Jackson trial office. In 2011, he transferred to the St. Louis City trial office. “I am honored to receive the Lon O. Hocker Award and would like to thank all my colleagues for their help and support, as well as my clients, family and friends,” said Mahon. Mahon will be recognized during the Missouri Bar Foundation and Public Service Awards luncheon on September 21, 2016.

For questions regarding this information, please contact:

Michael Barrett, Director
Missouri Public Defender System
Phone: 573-526-5212
Michael.Barrett@mspd.mo.gov

MISSOURI STATE PUBLIC DEFENDER SYSTEM
Director’s Office

Woodrail Centre
1000 West Nifong, Building 7, Suite 100
Columbia, Missouri 65203
Telephone: 573-526-5212 Fax: 573-777-9975

Press Release – For Immediate Release
Office of the Missouri Public Defender Appoints District Defender of Nevada Trial Office

June 14, 2016 (COLUMBIA, MO)—The Missouri State Public Defender System has appointed Renee GotviAgehya as District Defender of the Nevada trial office, replacing Joe Zuzul who retired May 31st after serving almost twenty-nine years with the system. GotviAgehya earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Juris Doctorate from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, graduating in 2003, and is licensed to practice law in Kansas, Tennessee, and Missouri. In 2004, she earned her Masters of Laws in Taxation at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. GotviAgehya began working for the Missouri State Public Defender System in the Carthage trial office in 2006 and has worked in all the counties served by the Carthage trial office – Jasper, Newton, McDonald, Barton, Barry and Lawrence counties.

“For the last nine years, I have been extremely proud to be part of the army of people who fight for people who would otherwise have no one in an extremely difficult time. I look forward to be able to serve at a higher level,” said GotviAgehya.

For questions regarding this information, please contact:

Michael Barrett, Director
Missouri Public Defender System
Phone: 573-526-5212
Email: Michael.Barrett@mspd.mo.gov