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Utah County public defenders report high workload, request four attorneys and contingency funding
Summary
Utah County Public Defender Association said COVID and remote court procedures have increased workload and delayed trials; they projected ~6,225 appointments by year‑end, calculated case hours that translate to about 55 hours/week per attorney, and asked the commission for funding for four attorneys (plus interns and social workers) at an estimated $440,000.
Benjamin Young, financial manager for the Utah County Public Defender Association, and his management team told the county commission that COVID‑era shifts and remote court proceedings have materially increased workload pressures and produced a growing backlog of trials.
"Our mission is to provide effective and efficient representation to those charged with crimes in Utah County," Young said, framing the Office’s presentation around constitutional and statutory duties, including Utah Code 78b‑22. Josh, a senior attorney on the team, told commissioners that remote hearings and access issues have forced attorneys to spend significantly more time contacting clients in custody and preparing cases outside a normal in‑court rhythm.
Key figures presented: through Q3 the association reported a cost per appointed case of $875.01; an extrapolated projection of roughly 6,225 appointed cases for the calendar year; a computed total of 78,071 case hours projected for the year; and a current average workload equal to about 55 hours per attorney per week. Using industry study methodologies and a case‑weighting approach the office says adding four attorneys (plus four interns and four social workers) would reduce expected weekly hours toward a 50‑hour target and cost about $440,000.
Benjamin Young summarized the proposed staffing and fiscal request as a forward‑looking item for budget planning: "By increasing by 4 attorneys, that will bring that to 48.43 [hours/week]. The total cost of this is $440,000." Presenters also highlighted revenue matching by the Indigent Defense Commission (IDC), saying county funds are supplemented so that each county dollar drives a larger total expenditure for services.
Commissioners asked for additional benchmarking and a clearer breakdown by case type and hours. One commissioner noted that Utah County’s public defender office is already more heavily loaded than the Salt Lake counterpart: Benjamin Young said the office’s metrics indicate roughly 175% of Salt Lake’s caseload on a per‑attorney basis. Presenters committed to provide comparative data and more granular reporting, and to migrate to the IDC‑backed Defender Data system in January to standardize case‑weight and hour tracking.
Public comment reinforced the staffing plea: Wendy Parmley thanked the presenters and urged commissioners to base budget decisions on workload (not raw caseload), warned that an upcoming capital case will demand significant defender resources, and expressed concern for staff strain.
Next steps: presenters will provide requested breakdowns by case type and hours, move to Defender Data for standardized reporting, and return budget details during the county’s formal budget process.
