Alva Review-Courier -

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A record 1 in 4 Kansas public defenders quit last fiscal year, with many blaming high caseloads and low salaries.

Among them was Ruslan Ivanov, who told KCUR-FM that he typically juggled between 60 and 90 cases and sometimes worked seven days a week. On one trip to Colorado, he stood in front of a breathtaking mountain view and started thinking about a case.

"I thought about, 'I need to do something. Is there something that I forgot? Is there something that I'm missing?'" he said.

The Board of Indigents' Defense Services' executive director, Pat Scalia, has asked lawmakers...