In Defense
Seven years after opening public defender’s office, attorney Jennifer Harjo’s role has grown.
While many managers strive to increase their numbers, JENNIFER HARJO sees hers as a mixed blessing. As New Hanover County’s public defender, her increase in clientele and staff indicate an increase in both crime and poverty.
Harjo’s office, opened in 2008, provides legal services to individuals facing possible jail time but unable to afford to hire an attorney. Her office is one of sixteen in the state created by legislation in 2000.
In addition to handling everything from DUIs to capital murder, the attorneys in Harjo’s office now represent neglect and abuse cases referred by the Department of Social Services.
“We don’t represent parents in custody situations because that’s a civil matter,” she says.
The office also represents people charged with contempt issues.
“Anytime someone is in danger of losing their liberty, they are entitled to have an attorney,” Harjo says. “For example, being charged with contempt of court for nonpayment of child support or alimony.”
Harjo’s staff has grown from ten to sixteen full-time attorneys and from five to seven staff members. She says she needs more, but there’s no money budgeted for the near future. There are still court-appointed private attorneys who volunteer for cases not handled by Harjo’s office.
The evolution of her office has centered, in part, on carefully analyzing cost and effectiveness of court-appointed attorney cases and taking on those that could be handled more cost-effectively by the public defender’s office. For example, she’s determined that, for now, taking on child support cases will not save money, but they could easily use another attorney for the types of cases they already cover.
“I think the indigent population has increased along with the population itself,” she says.
Harjo says the 2008 drop in the economy affected many blue-collar workers who were making good money at trades but are now either out of work or haven’t regained their income level.
“That’s created a greater need,” she says.
“Crime may be up as well,” Harjo says, referenced a cycle she sees with poor and underprivileged kids who are struggling at school and with the lack of structure at home.
“They start to rely on their friends for approval, and if their friends are influenced by gang members or other people in the community who are not doing positive things, they get sucked into criminal activity,” Harjo says. “Sometimes it starts out minor and generates into something else. We have some very young people in custody now for very serious crimes, and that’s a problem. That seems to be as a result of us failing our youth.”
On the flip side, she says her greatest success is in staffing.
“We have some really great young lawyers and more experienced lawyers in our office. The quality and the dedication of the lawyers working in New Hanover County is astounding,” Harjo says.
Among those in her office is one woman who is so dedicated to helping people turn around their lives that she teaches yoga to inmates. Another assists after the workday with Teen Court.
“The staff is dedicated as well,” Harjo says. “When people call, they get a person. I set it up that way. I wanted it to be an eye on quality services.”
To view more of photographer Chris Brehmer’s work, go to www.chrisbrehmerphotography.com/
