LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

The Department of Public Advocacy recently presented a new reform plan to a committee in Frankfort, calling for higher compensation for public defenders ahead of the upcoming budget cycle.

Damon Preston, who leads the DPA as Kentucky’s Public Advocate, says Kentucky's pay for public defenders is lower compared to other major cities in the region, leading to high turnover and a high workload for the attorneys who remain.

The average starting salary for a public defender in Kentucky is a little more than $58,000, according to the DPA.

The DPA says the average new cases per attorney is 341 cases, but that's only if their offices across the state are fully staffed at 400 attorneys.

Preston said oftentimes, they have dozens of vacancies, which means attorneys have more ca

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