Seemingly out of the blue, an obscure Oregon government agency was suddenly in the limelight for big issues and big drama.

Never heard of the Office of Public Defense Services? You’re probably not alone. But it’s an agency with an important mission and many of its issues aren’t new.

On the latest episode of Beat Check, investigative reporter Noelle Crombie discusses the dustup between the top official at that agency and the state’s chief justice, why Oregon has so many people waiting for a public defender, and much more.

A programming note – we recorded this interview before Stephen Singer was fired by a new 9-member state commission. He likened the state’s chief justice to an autocrat like Vladimir Putin during his last meeting as leader. But the larger issues are all still relevant.

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