ST. LOUIS, Miss. (WKRC) - A battle over a budget has taken a very surprising turn in Missouri.
The budget for the Office of the Public Defender was cut by 8.5% due to what the Governor's Office called "fiscal discipline."
This has led to a shortage of funding for public defenders in Missouri, which, according to the Director of the Public Defender Michael Barrett in his letter to Governor Jay Nixon, "only adds to the escalating sentiment that the poor and disenfranchised do not receive a fair shake in Missouri's criminal justice system."
However, using a little-used law, Director Barrett has found a way to maybe persuade the Governor to reconsider the budget cuts.