Monongalia County residents in need of legal representation will soon have easier access to a cost-effective, quality defense with a new Public Defender Corp. (PDC) location set to open in Morgantown in the next few weeks.
A PDC works with Public Defender Services (PDS) and operate as nonprofit corporations with funding from the legislature. The Mon County location will be the 20th PDC in the state.
Appointed by the governor last year, Chairperson Michael D. Simms said the new PDC office will be on the third floor of the Ward Building, 265 Spruce St. Many residents may be familiar with the building as the former site for the Mon County Magistrate Court.
Work began on the approximately 10,000 square feet office space in September and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Simms said the large office space will be needed due to the high case load they expect to take on.
PDC lawyers will be full-time, salaried staff members and will work to fulfill the agency’s mission “to provide high-quality, legal representation to those in need, operating with a level of professionalism, pay and service on par with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.”
When fully staffed, Simms said the office hopes to employ around 17 people — attorneys and support staff such as legal secretaries, paralegals, investigators, social workers and recovery coaches.
The board of directors overseeing the local PDC will be Simms, vice chairperson Belinda Haynie, secretary Melissa Giggenbach and board members at large Rachel Coen and Hilda Heady – all serving without compensation.
Court-appointed public defenders are assigned to cases for eligible defendants who may not be able to afford a private attorney. Currently in Mon County, these attorneys are chosen by the courts from a list of local private defense attorneys who are willing to take on the cases, Simms said.
While many cases will continue to be assigned to local court-appointed council, Simms said the PDC hopes to take on around 50% of local court-appointed cases.
Simms said that people with low incomes often face unique and difficult conditions when going through the criminal justice system – like easy access to their attorney’s office.
“How do we get people without transportation to be able to meet with their lawyer in an actual office?” Simms said that was something the group considered when looking for an office space.
“We’re going to do everything we can to be super accessible,” he said.
One of the goals of PDC is for their clients to have a meaningful transition back into the community. Simms said PDC takes a kind of holistic approach to helping people through the criminal justice system and will also offer treatment programs like counseling, peer support and job-specific training in addition to legal services, which will help to prevent a return to the justice system.
PDC will also partner with West Virginia University School of Law to provide students with mentorship opportunities and firsthand experience in the legal work environment. Simms said the firm also wants to be available as a resource for other public defenders in the area.
According to Simms, the new PDC office will be “impressive” and work on the space is ahead of schedule and nearing completion. In the meantime, they have already filled several key positions and are interviewing for the remaining attorney and support staff positions.
“We want our clients to feel good about getting a lawyer at Public Defender Corp.,” he said. “Money should never be an issue or barrier preventing someone from getting high-quality, professional legal representation.”
