Benton County to hire new public defender

Benton County hopes to hire a new public defender this spring.

At Tuesday's Commissioner's meeting, public defense coordinator Eric Hsu presented the board with a proposal to hire a new public defender in place of a contracted position which is what the county has been doing.

Hsu says they've gone through seven contracted attorneys over the past year, because there's a lot of competition.

The goal is to improve retention, and establish more flexibility in managing cases.

At their next regular meeting, Commissioners are expected to approve funding for $150,000 for 2-years for the position.

The department hopes to fill the post this spring.