Clark County Council approves $3 million in ARPA funds to start public defenders officeSubscriber Exclusive

'I’m excited. I think it’s a huge step forward for the county — long overdue and much needed'

By Jessica Prokop, Columbian Assistant Metro Editor

Published: November 15, 2023, 6:07am

Clark County is considering establishing a public defenders office rather than contracting with local attorneys to provide for indigent defense. At left, Clark County Prosecuting Attorney Tony Golik appears in Clark County Superior court in 2022. (The Columbian files)

After many starts and stops and years of input from attorneys and court and county officials, Clark County is getting a public defense office.

The Clark County Council on Tuesday unanimously approved using about $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to create a county public defense office.

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