LaGRANGE – The Troup County Public Defender’s office requested funding for an additional defender at the county commission budget meeting last week in order to help manage the office’s workload.

The office currently has four attorneys operating at a state level, and the office argued that they needed another attorney to keep up with their case load.

“When you think about that we are going toe to toe with (the District Attorney’s office) on all these cases, and there are six of them over there churning out more or being able to go do what they need to do – I only have four people able to do that same job,” said Public Defender Maryellen Simmons. “It makes it a lot more difficult.”

The one additional attorney would cost an additional $131,382 a year annually. The department’s budget is currently $481,000.

The Troup County Board of Commissioners plans to review all funding requests at their meeting on May 4 at p.m. at 100 Ridley Ave when they also plan to discuss how to fund a recommended employee pay increase.

Reach Alicia B. Hill at alicia.hill@lagrangenews.com or at 706-884-7311, Ext. 2154.