Alaska Lawmaker Calls for Hiring More Prosecutors, Public Defenders to Reduce Extreme Delay in Criminal Cases

Alaska State Representative Andrew Gray is advocating for the state to double its number of prosecutors and public defenders to address extreme delays in criminal cases. This call to action follows reports by the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica highlighting the issue, where serious felony cases can take three years or more to resolve, more than twice as long as in 2015. Gray, chair of a legislative committee overseeing the court system, believes insufficient staffing is the primary cause of the delays, not the attorneys themselves. He plans to advocate for increased funding in the state budget to reduce caseloads. The Alaska Supreme Court has also acknowledged the problem and implemented measures, but Gray argues that additional resources are essential to meet speedy trial standards and ensure timely justice for both defendants and victims.

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