jriddle@thealpenanews.com
News Photo by Julie Riddle
Defense attorney Bill Pfeifer, in his Alpena office on Thursday, explains plans for a public defender office, to be created in Alpena in coming months.
ALPENA Within months, defendants who can’t afford an attorney in Alpena will have access to full-time lawyers dedicated to defending the poor, according to Alpena defense attorney Bill Pfeifer.
An idea bandied about for at least a year by local attorneys, a public defender office will be up and running in Alpena by or near June 1, Pfeifer. The office set up much like a prosecutor’s office, only working on behalf of defendants who can’t afford to hire legal help will serve and be supported by Alpena and Montmorency counties, which share a court system.