D.C. public defenders will be furloughed one day a week this summer

The D.C. Public Defender Service, facing a $3 million budget shortfall, said it plans to furlough its attorneys and staff members one day a week from June to September, a move that is expected to cause further delays in the already-backlogged D.C. Superior Court. The office, which employs 250 defense lawyers, supervisors, investigators and support personnel, began alerting judges, clients and prosecutors late last month. The work slowdown will occur during the summer, which is often the busiest period for the court, when crime in the District typically is at...