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Committee hears Senate Bill 151 to establish public defender family-defense units
Summary
Senate Bill 151 would direct the Office of State Public Defender to set up organizational trial units to provide counsel to parents and children; sponsor and an Office of Public Defender official told the House Judiciary Committee the change aims to reduce reliance on contract attorneys and improve consistency.
The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony Thursday on Senate Bill 151, a proposal that would direct the director of the Office of State Public Defender to establish organizational trial units to provide family defense and child representation services.
Senator Dennis Lenz, representing Senate District 25 in far-west Billings, opened the hearing, saying the bill would require the public defender’s office to create up to two organizational trial units that would provide counsel to parents and establish organizational trial units to provide counsel to children. "I'm bringing before you senate bill 151 a bill directing the director of office state public defender to…
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