Changes to Public Defenders Council Approved by Senate

Comparing the spending at the public defenders standards council to drunken sailors on shore leave, State Senator Preston Smith of Rome has pushed a bill through his chamber eliminating the group.

The bill makes the council an advisory group. Currently the council has the power to overrule the agencies director. Sen. Smith says that’s led the council to double it’s spending the past eight years defending indigent criminals.

"Every single state agency has agreed to reduce their budget, and tighten their belt, and this agency says not only will we not tighten our belt, we want a thirty three percent increase in our funding in FY 2010."

Opponents say this bill is political, and that Smith and others are angry the state spent over two million dollars defending convicted quadruple murderer Brian Nichols. They say if passed, this bill would reduce the quality of defense provided to the poor.