ATLANTA - Georgia's struggling public defender system has begrudgingly agreed to slash its budget, but defiant members say they will also search for ways to mount a legal challenge.
The system's decision on Wednesday comes two weeks after leaders angrily defied Gov. Sonny Perdue's order to cut the program's budget by 6 percent. The extent of the cuts won't be decided until later this month, but it could require employee furloughs and other reductions.
The public defender system, like most other state agencies, was ordered to propose cuts of at least 6 percent to help meet a $1.6 billion shortfall.
But the system is in the midst of a sharp budget crisis, as its budget has been cut from $42 million to $35 million over the last three years.
Thursday
October 10th, 2024
6:28PM
