Without an infusion of nearly $600,000 in emergency cash, the state public defender's office says about 1,600 people may be left with no legal representation.
Chief Public Defender Jorge Alvarado will be seeking funding from the New Mexico Board of Finance on Thursday. If the board approves, his office would have enough to provide criminal defense services for low-income people for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends in June.
With the money, the office will be able to lift a hiring freeze that has been in place since December and defendants who can't afford their own attorneys will get legal representation.
The Administrative Office of the Courts is also in line to seek $750,000 for magistrate court operations throughout the state.
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