BEDFORD – The Lawrence County Public Defenders Office has moved to Plaza Courthouse.
Chief Public Defender Tim Sledd said, “This is a big, important move and will save money. The county can get reimbursement from the state commission on improvements and will also facilitate clinics finding us. When we were at Dunn Plaza, it sometimes took days for a client to come in and make contact. Now we are in the same buildings as the court, and they can now just walk upstairs.”
Sledd is thankful for the move because Courthouse Plaza has added security that Dunn Plaza didn’t have.
“I feel better for my staff being at Courthouse Plaza,” added Sledd. “The metal detectors and sheriff staff are present at all times. My staff is safer here.”
Some remodeling had to be done to get the offices ready.
“I would like to thank Chad Shew at community correction for allowing us to use those crews to get the heavy furniture moved and arranged in the offices and to paint the hallways and the offices,” Sledd said. “This saved the county money by using community corrections crews. It took two days to move furniture and four labor days to do the painting.”
Sheriff Branham and Sledd have also been working on facilitating visits with clients that are being housed at the jail.
As agency chief, Sledd oversees the staff of defense attorneys, monitors caseloads, meets reporting requirements of the Indiana Public Defender Commission, and prepares an annual budget. For 2022, the agency has a budget of nearly $900,000.
