State v. Jones

I respectfully dissent. In this appeal, the record presented is insufficient for purposes of determining whether the district court abused its discretion when it decided that Jones was ineligible for a public defender.

Under Minn.Stat. § 611.17(a)(2) (2008), a defendant who is financially unable to obtain counsel is entitled to the appointment of a public defender. A defendant is financially unable to obtain counsel if he or she, “through any combination of liquid assets and current income, would be unable to pay the reasonable costs charged by private counsel in that judicial district for a…