Marion County judges will start deciding if public defenders have time to take new cases 

Public defenders appointed by judges to represent Oregonians facing criminal charges can decline new cases if they’re too busy to take them on.

That’s about to change in Marion County.

The county’s circuit court judges have decided they will soon start determining themselves if a public defender is able to take on a new client and ethically represent them.

The decision is intended to reduce the number of people who don’t have an attorney representing…