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Utah County public defenders report sharp caseload rise, warn of staffing and cost pressure
Summary
The Utah County Public Defender Association told commissioners its first-quarter caseloads surged compared with 2022, driving hours-per-attorney above historical targets and pushing program costs for experts and investigations higher; the group said it will return to seek budget support.
Benjamin Young, financial manager for the Utah County Public Defender Association, told the County Commission that the office’s workload has risen sharply in early 2023 and that the increase is straining capacity. “We’ve seen a significant increase in the number of cases, and the number of hours that are required to provide effective assistance of counsel,” Young said during the quarterly report to the commission.
The association reported 815 new cases in the first quarter this year versus about 390 for the same period last year, and a separate tally taken…
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