Budget Cuts Begin: Public Defenders Cut 30 Per Diem Employees.

Friday will be the last day of work for thirty per diem employees in the state’s public defender offices around the state. Budget cuts have required the office to eliminate the daily employment of lawyers and others who augment the staff of 400 permanent employees in the public defender’s office. Per diem employees do not receive healthcare and retirement benefits from their daily employment. The cutbacks will save $989,322 of the $4,849,161 the office is required to cut under budget tightening orders issued by the Malloy administration.

Other savings will be found by not filling some vacancies.  The office has employs 200 lawyers, none of whom are members of a state bargaining unit.  Other members of the office–investigators and clerks, for example–are members of various unions.