Judy Woodruff:

But first, when someone is charged with a crime, but can't afford an attorney, the court is required to provide one. In most cases, that person is a so-called public defender.

But what if that public defender already has too many clients to serve as competent representation?

That's a situation playing out in many states, including Missouri, where public defenders have started refusing cases, throwing a wrench into the machinery of the criminal justice system.

John Yang has that story, produced by Frank Carlson and with support from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, and it's part of our continuing coverage of Broken Justice.