Thank a Defender 

Editor:

Thank you for your article "The Defender," May 19. We are fortunate to have such dedicated attorneys, investigators and support staff at the Public Defender's Office. Without their hard work our constitutional rights would be meaningless. It is unfortunate that each defender must carry a caseload far beyond that recommended by the American Bar Association.

Perhaps it is not well known that in county jails across the United States the majority of inmates are not convicted of any crime. Research published by the Vera Institute of Justice (www.vera.org) reveals that most inmates simply cannot afford to post bail money. They await disposition of their cases, sometimes for months or years.

I suggest our board of supervisors could invite Kevin Robinson for further discussion of what can be done to remedy the shortage of staff.

Jonathan McCrone, Rohnert Park