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Senate approves bill to give counties a role when judges replace contracted public defenders
Summary
The Utah Senate passed House Bill 128 to require notice and a hearing with the county attorney when a judge appoints a replacement public defender outside an existing county contract; supporters said the bill protects county budgets and discourages "attorney shopping."
The Utah Senate on Feb. 24 approved House Bill 128, a measure sponsored in the House by Representative Bodley that gives county attorneys a formal opportunity to be heard if a judge is asked to replace a contracted public defender.
Senator Lyle Hilliard, who presented the bill to the Senate, said the measure responds to county concern that courts sometimes appoint replacement counsel outside a county's contract and thereby expose county budgets to unplanned fees. "This bill was brought to Representative Bodley and myself by our county attorney concerned about an…
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