Spokane May Need to Hire Dozens of Public Defenders

City officials warn of potential tripling of public defender staff to meet new caseload standards

Apr. 1, 2026 at 3:52am

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Spokane officials have warned that the city may need to triple the size of its Public Defender's Office by 2036 to comply with unfunded mandates imposed by the state's high court. The Washington Supreme Court recently issued an order reducing the number of cases each public defender can handle annually, from 400 to 120. This has led to a surge in cases that the current office is struggling to handle, forcing them to turn away over 160 cases so far this year.

Why it matters

The public defender crisis in Spokane highlights the broader challenges facing the criminal justice system, as cities struggle to provide adequate legal representation for low-income defendants. This issue has significant implications for public safety, taxpayer costs, and the fairness of the judicial process.

The details

Chief Public Defender Nick Antush told the Spokane City Council that his office has already refused over 160 cases so far this year due to a lack of resources. Under the court ruling, the current 400-case limit will decrease by 10% annually until it's 120 in 2036. Antush said the reinforced camping ban and misdemeanor narcotic offenses are about 30% of the city's caseload, forcing the city to turn some away if it can't appoint a public defender in time. The council has funded 26 full-time employees in the Public Defender's Office over the last couple of years, including 20 attorneys in the 2025-26 budget. However, Antush argues that compensation poses an obstacle in attracting candidates, with public defenders in Spokane earning $72,474.48 to $121,250.

  • The Washington Supreme Court issued an order last year that reduced the number of cases each public defender can handle from 400 to 120 annually.
  • The current 400-case limit will decrease by 10% annually until it's 120 in 2036.

The players

Nick Antush

Chief Public Defender for the city of Spokane.

Maggie Yates

Deputy City Administrator for Spokane.

Michael Cathcart

Spokane City Councilmember.

Lisa Brown

Mayor of Spokane.

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What they’re saying

“We're looking at, you know, theoretically tripling the number of attorneys that we have in the office by the end of 10 years. We need at least a couple more attorneys this year to meet that 10% reduction, or we just have to file notices of unavailability.”

— Nick Antush, Chief Public Defender

“There was some conversation in the fall around increasing this line item in our budget, and I think it might have went up a small amount, but nothing compared to what it needs to in order to be able to hire the defenders.”

— Michael Cathcart, Spokane City Councilmember

What’s next

The city is working to determine how to fund additional public defenders, with options including increasing the public defender's office budget or allowing only prosecutors to file charges rather than the police department. The mayor and her administration are working with the finance team to find a solution.

The takeaway

The public defender crisis in Spokane highlights the broader challenges facing the criminal justice system, as cities struggle to provide adequate legal representation for low-income defendants. This issue has significant implications for public safety, taxpayer costs, and the fairness of the judicial process, and will require creative solutions from city leaders to address.