Plagued by turmoil and turnover, Nevada's public defender office seeks to rebuild

The July resignation of Andrew Coates as Nevada's chief public defender was abrupt, but not totally unexpected. The Office of the State Public Defender represents low-income residents in counties struggling to hire their own public defenders. Heading the office is a demanding and often thankless job, and Coates was the third appointee in a row to leave before completing a full term. "It was not a fun job, that's for sure," Coates told The Nevada Independent. He said he was proud of what he accomplished but felt he faced an impossible task, finding attorneys willing to work for little pay on difficult cases in the most remote corners of the state. During Coates' tenure, judges and other legal professionals raised concerns about his management style, arguing he lacked the leadership skills to oversee an office in dire need of a problem solver.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.