Today, Hunter was joined once again by the Executive Director of North Dakota's Commission of Legal Counsel for the Indigent, Travis Fink. Last time, Travis joined the show to detail a bleak outlook for public defense in the state. Not enough attorneys in both the contract and full-time systems, inadequate pay, and crushing workloads left Travis with little choice. He drafted up a letter preparing to tell the courts the public defender would be taking no new cases, but before he could send it out, the legislature threw the system a lifeline.

Guest:

Travis Fink, Executive Director, North Dakota Commission of Legal Counsel for the Indigent

Resources:

Travis Testimony at the Legislature

https://video.ndlegis.gov/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20250130/-1/32604

Contact the North Dakota Public Defender

https://www.indigents.nd.gov/

North Dakota Public Defender News

https://northdakotamonitor.com/2025/07/07/north-dakota-public-defenders-see-budget-increase-with-new-biennium/

https://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-regional/crime-courts/public-defenders-underpaid-overworked-north-dakota-report-says/article_76910028-f819-11ee-a575-8f6da532994a.html

Contact Hunter Parnell:

[email protected]

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