News Release
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Matthew Mahaffey: Time is now to speak up, reach out and be better (June 3, 2020)
- Columbia Missourian: Continued rise in felony caseload cripples Missouri public defender system (May 29, 2020)
- Kansas City Star: Missouri lawmakers: public defender system failing, but search for funds a challenge (November 25, 2019)
- Kansas City Star: With overloaded Missouri public defenders, you only get a ‘sliver of an attorney’ (November 20, 2019)
- Kansas City Star: Before their day in court, poor people charged with crimes can spend years in jail (November 20, 2019)
- Kansas City Star: Missouri judge says: Represent yourself in court or plead guilty to save time (November 20, 2019)
- Kansas City Star: Public defenders ordered to violate ethics to keep defendants moving through court (November 20, 2019)
- Kansas City Star: Missouri prosecutors hold all the cards. Public defenders and vulnerable clients fold (November 20, 2019)
- Kansas City Star: Defenseless: Missouri justice system violates the Constitution every day (November 20, 2019)
- Kansas City Star: ‘Constant injustice’: Missouri must fund and fix its broken public defender system (November 20, 2019)
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Erickson: Help wanted sign to go up at Missouri’s public defender office (October 17, 2019)
- Columbia Daily Tribune: Pratt: Departing public defender Barrett makes final argument for poor defendants (October 12, 2019)
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Messenger: With unified voice, Missouri Supreme Court signals an end to debtors prison scheme (March 20, 2019)
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri children are waiving their right to legal counsel. That’s a problem, some lawmakers say. (February 27, 2019)
- Aba Journal: Public service attorneys win important victory in Dept. of Ed loan-forgiveness lawsuit (February 24, 2019)
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Messenger: Public defender alleges Missouri judge is ignoring double jeopardy protections (February 22, 2019)
- News Tribune: Missouri ACLU forum discusses future of criminal justice (January 31, 2019)
- Columbia Missourian: In rural Missouri, going to jail isn’t free. You pay for it. (December 19, 2018)
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri appeals court blasts hole in debtors’ prison scheme (December 11, 2018)
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Justice is distorted when courts turn into profit-generating centers (December 10, 2018)
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Lawmaker targets probation-for-profit companies in Missouri (November 19, 2018)
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Jailed for being poor is Missouri epidemic: 15 cases from Tony Messenger (November 19, 2018)
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri teen stole a lawnmower in high school – 11 years later he’s still going to court (November 16, 2018)
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Private probation company tries to shame Dent County woman back to jail (November 8, 2018)
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Poor defendants in Dent, Caldwell counties join not-so-exclusive $10,000 club (October 17, 2018)
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Jailed for being poor is a Missouri epidemic (October 9, 2018)
- Columbia Daily Tribune: Attorney: Race played role in overcharging by juvenile officers (August 3, 2018)
- News Tribune: Woman sues Corrections over jail bills (July 8, 2018)
- Missouri Viewpoints: MSPD’s Sarah Johnson discusses Juvenile Justice (June 12, 2018)
- Messenger: After 18 years, no progress in Missouri, where ‘Driving While Black’ is still a crime (June 6, 2018)
- St. Louis City District Defender files petition against St. Louis circuit attorney (May 7, 2018)
- Public Defender featured on PBS News Hour (May 2, 2018)
- News-leader: Springfield man stops a bully (March 16, 2018)
- Public Defender Lindsey Phoenix featured on NBC Dateline – A Crack in Everything (March 3, 2018) (Some authorization required for viewing)
- Delegation of Representation (.pdf) (August 3, 2016)
- Public Defender Files Legal Challenge to Governor’s Withhold Actions (July 13, 2016)
- Office of the Missouri Public Defender Appoints New General Counsel (September 04, 2015)
- Missouri State Public Defender Requests Funding Following Release of DOJ Report (August 10, 2015)
- Public Defender Response to Department of Justice Report Finding Significant Constitutional Violations of Juvenile Rights in St. Louis County (July 31, 2015)
- Public Defender Director Calls for Immediate Moratorium on the Death Penalty Following Latest Report Showing Racial Bias (July 17, 2015)
- Missouri’s New State Public Defender Sworn into Office (May 28, 2015)
- Oath of Office Remarks: Michael Barrett (May 28, 2015)
- Cat Kelly Steps Down from State Public Defender Post (May 28, 2015)
- Office of the Missouri State Public Defender Selects District Defender of the Rolla Trial Office (May 20, 2015)
- Curt Winegarner Receives 2015 Defender of Distinction Award (May 15, 2015)
- Public Defender Commission Appoints Michael Barrett to be the Next State Public Defender (March 27, 2015)