Public defenders are poised to go on strike as early as Tuesday across Minnesota, where unionized attorneys say they've been pushed to the brink by routinely high caseloads that have become unmanageable amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Cara Gilbert said she feels a deep responsibility to the clients she represents in juvenile court in Ramsey County, who are mostly “the most vulnerable young children of color.” But she said the workloads have become intolerable for her and her fellow public defenders, who voted by an 80% margin to authorize a strike. And their pay lags far behind what the prosecutors across the table from them make.
