Jeanette Wolfberg is reporting in The Columbia Paper Columbia County officials are awaiting state authorization to pay for two part-time assistant public defenders for nighttime arraignments and for a paralegal to support them. The funds will come from New York State Indigent Legal Services and will allow the county to ensure that those arrested at night will have a lawyer the first time they face a judge. The goal, said county Public Defender Robert Linville, is to make sure "county residents have the maximum chance not to have their lives interrupted while they are still innocent.” Each new assistant public defender would earn $49,000 a year. The new assistant public defenders will alternate working at night for seven days with seven days working during the day. The paralegal will work full time during the day. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.