The statewide public defender council is fighting a new proposal that could transform the way it provides legal counsel to poor defendants and potentially cost millions of dollars.

The council's lawyers told the Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday that a proposal by the State Bar of Georgia could devastate the group's ability to represent Georgia's neediest.

The debate involves "conflict" cases — those with multiple defendants. The bar says ethical rules prevent lawyers in the same public defender's office from representing co-defendants, but the council disagrees.

Council director Travis Sakrison said it could cost as much as $9 million more to set up new offices to take the cases. But supporters of the change say it's needed to fulfill the judicial system's promise of equal justice for all.

Tags: Public Defender, public defender council, poor defendants