What Stopped North Dakota Public Defenders from Refusing New Cases? w/Travis Fink

Aug 18

Today, Hunter was joined once again by the Executive Director of North Dakota’s Commission of Legal Counsel for the Indigent, Travis Fink. Last time, Travis joined the show to detail a bleak outlook for public defense in the state. Not enough attorneys in both the contract and full-time systems, inadequate pay, and crushing workloads left Travis with little choice. He drafted up a letter preparing to tell the courts the public defender would be taking no new cases, but before he could send it out, the legislature threw the system a lifeline.

Guest:

Travis Fink, Executive Director, North Dakota Commission of Legal Counsel for the Indigent

Resources:

Travis Testimony at the Legislature

https://video.ndlegis.gov/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20250130/-1/32604

Contact the North Dakota Public Defender

https://www.indigents.nd.gov/

North Dakota Public Defender News

https://northdakotamonitor.com/2025/07/07/north-dakota-public-defenders-see-budget-increase-with-new-biennium/

https://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-regional/crime-courts/public-defenders-underpaid-overworked-north-dakota-report-says/article_76910028-f819-11ee-a575-8f6da532994a.html

Contact Hunter Parnell:

Publicdefenseless@gmail.com