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Lawrence Co. Council Hires New Public Defender

Last updated on Wednesday, March 26, 2014

(BEDFORD) - The Lawrence County Council approved a request from Lawrence County Public Defender Lorinda Youngcourt to transfer $5,000 from the county’s user fees to pay the salary for a new public defender.

Attorney Stephanie Bridgewater will be replacing Attorney John Plummer III. Plummer is leaving his position as a public defender to serve as a referee in Circuit Court. Youngcourt says the $5,000 will pay Bridgewater's salary so she and Plummer can work together during a six week probation period.

"She has already been assigned cases," Youngcourt says. "She will fill Mr. Plummer's position on May 5th."

The Salary Committee will meet to determine Bridgewater's salary before May 5th.

In other business:

Sheriff Sam Craig presented the annual jail reports. He then informed the council that during the recent murder investigation detectives and police officers racked up more than $10,000 in overtime hours.

"Our overtime funds took a major hit," Craig says. "But there was no way to prevent that."

The council also approved an additional appropriate of $30,600 for the demolition of the courthouse annex, beside the jail. The appropriation is a 10 percent grant match.

Kenna Hodges, with the Surveyor's Office reported they are making progress in correcting parcel numbers. So far 3,091 parcel numbers have been completed.

"We found a lot of problems along the way, but we are getting them fixed," Hodges says. "We will have 1,000 more done by April 27th. I will then be working weekends, holidays and nights to finish up the remaining 1,000."

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