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Opinion
by Murrel Bland
Wyandotte County needs a public defender.
That was the message that District Attorney Mark Dupree delivered to members of the Congressional Forum Friday, Oct. 15, at Children’s Mercy Park. The Forum is a division of the Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber Commerce.
Dupree said three other more populous Kansas counties—Johnson, Shawnee and Douglas– have public defenders. He said it is important to have such an office because there can be a delay—sometimes up to two months–before a Wyandotte County defendant is assigned legal counsel by a district judge. That can be expensive as it costs $95 a day to keep a prisoner in jail.
In addition, Dupree said not having legal representative quickly could lead to wrongful prosecution; this could lead to compensation from taxpayer funds.
Dupree, who has been District Attorney since early 2017, said his office is focused on a four-point plan for making Wyandotte County safer:
- Smart prosecution
- Community prosecution unit
- Fiscal responsibility
- Youth investment
Dupree heads a staff of more than 60 persons. He said his office is in the process of digitizing files in his office going back some 70 years.
Dupree received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Kansas at Lawrence. His law degree is from Washburn University, Topeka. He and his wife Shanelle are the parents of two sons and two daughters. Shanelle, who is also a lawyer, is the regional director of the Kansas Department of Children and Families.
Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.