Illinois legislators try again on statewide public defender legislation – Chicago Tribune/Yahoo

The goal has been to address the lack of public defense resources in rural areas, many of which don’t even have a public defender’s office, as well as disparities in the resources allotted to county prosecutors and public defenders. In Cook County, for example, the 2024 budget provided about $102 million for its public defender’s office, and about $205 million for its state’s attorney’s office.