Town Enacts Pilot Program to Fund Public Defense

Summerville Town Council has agreed to begin a six-month pilot program that would fund a private attorney on a case-by-case basis to provide a public defense for jailable offenses at the municipal level. 

The town first sought funding from the county, since the town removes some of the caseload from the county, but were turned down by Dorchester County Council. 

To curb cost, town council is exploring hiring a private attorney per case versus hiring a part-time public defender since the caseload is expected to be between zero and three per month. The fee will likely be $500 per case, and the money will come from the municipal court's budget. 

The program will expire after six months, and the town will review its options then.