Circuit Public Defenders Gather to Prepare for New System

Pictured right to left first row: H. Burton Baker, Cordele Circuit; Joe Thalgott, Dublin Circuit; Melinda Ryals, Alapaha Circuit & Thomas J. Killeen , Western Circuit   Second row: Joel Shiver, Northern Circuit; Sam Merritt, Southwestern Circuit; and Jim Martin , GPDSC Chief Legal Counsel.

The third gathering in a series of meetings to assist each circuit public defender with implementing the State’s new indigent defense system brought thirty-nine of the forty two newly selected circuit public defenders together recently in Hiawassee, Georgia. The Georgia Public Defender Standards Council plans to meet monthly with the circuit public defenders in various locations throughout the State. The primary purpose of the gatherings is to ensure that each circuit will be fully functional by the January, 2005 target date. The meetings serve as training sessions on everything from advocacy to leadership, management, and diversity issues, to basic continuing legal education.

An added advantage to the monthly meetings is network building. Meeting with each circuit with such consistency will encourage the circuit defenders to build working relationships with each other and become more familiar with their associates. Circuit public defenders are encouraged to build relationships amongst themselves in order to foster a network of support that will prove extremely helpful once the new indigent defense system becomes completely operational. Gathering the circuit defenders together allows for the exchange of information from their combined legal experiences and backgrounds.

Future meeting locations include Jekyll Island, Little Ocmulgee State Park in McRae, Georgia and George T. Bagby State Park in Fort Gaines, Georgia.