Spokane Public defender’s office suspends handling new cases

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The Spokane County Public Defender’s Office has suspended handling new felony cases for a week because attorneys have reached caseload limits set by the state.

Director Thomas Krzyminski says the backlog will likely be assigned next week, but incoming cases could be suspended until the end of July if caseload limits are reached again.

Krzyminski tells The Spokesman-Review in a story on Friday that attorneys are operating at maximum capacity.

Officials say the full scope of the delay won’t be understood for several weeks when defendants are arraigned.