Public defender shortage is leading to hundreds of criminal cases being dismissed

There are never enough lawyers to provide indigent defense, but the situation has gotten worse since the pandemic.

By: Georges Naufal, Texas A&M University and Emily Naiser, Texas A&M University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 3, 2026

Words: 1,151

Last Updated: 1 week ago

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By Georges Naufal, Texas A&M University and Emily Naiser, Texas A&M University

The Oregon Supreme Court on Feb. 5, 2026, issued a ruling that will have a wide impact. More than 1,400 criminal cases had to be dismissed, the justices ruled, due to lack of adequate counsel available for defendants.

Like other states, Oregon must provide defendants with legal representation if they cannot afford attorneys on their own. But Oregon has less than one-third …

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