A special meeting to meet with a candidate for the position of Box Butte County Public Defender was canceled on Thursday morning after the candidate accepted another position elsewhere.
Box Butte County Clerk Judy Messersmith said the search for a public defender will continue, noting that until the position is filled, the county will continue to rely upon court-appointed attorneys.
The position has been open since Box Butte County Public Defender Joel Burke submitted his resignation on Jan. 11. Burke interviewed for the position in June 2020, accepting the position after the meeting. He took over as Box Butte County Public Defender on July 1, 2020. Burke’s predecessor, Darin Nepper began as the Interim Box Butte County Public Defender on Feb. 29, 2020, and resigned on March 4, 2020, announcing that he had accepted another position.
The position was originally occupied by Jon Worthman, who was placed on leave in Jan. 2020 after being arrested for possession of cocaine with intent to deliver. Worthman was allowed to delay his formal resignation to allow him to maintain his health insurance. The Box Butte County Commissioners accepted Worthman’s resignation in May of 2020.