Public defenders are keeping a close eye on the state’s budget.

A possible budget cut to the state’s public defender board has local public defenders worried.

15th Judicial District Defender, Paul Marx, said as much as $250,000 could be cut from their own budget.

“We’ll have probably eight percent less money which will impact us by a quarter of a million dollars,” said Marx.

Marx said the judicial district’s annual budget is four million dollars and that money has to cover Lafayette, Acadia, and Vermilion parishes.

“If that sticks then we’re talking about maybe losing some attorney positions and services,” said Marx.

He said the state board could face a 17 percent cut next fiscal year.

State Public Defender, James Dixon Jr., said at this point it’s all speculation until the budget is announced.

If there is a cut, he said it will hurt an already tight budget.

“We’ve always had a shortfall. What we’ve done is we have spent down those individual fund balances to better distribute money to the more needy districts, but that money has run out,” said Dixon.

Marx said public defenders in his district are concerned about the outcome.

“We don’t know yet how close that’s going to come for our district, but it’s a particular problem regionally in the smaller districts that are just a country parish,” said Marx.

Dixon said a decision on what cuts will be made, if any, will be announced Friday.