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State public defender reports progress: budget up to $83M, staffing gains and new offices
Summary
Idaho's newly formed Office of the State Public Defender (OSPD) reported staffing increases, new offices, and progress reducing backlog while noting continued needs for attorneys and social workers.
Eric Fredericksen, the Idaho State Public Defender, told the Senate Judiciary & Rules Committee that the Office of the State Public Defender (OSPD) has made measurable progress since its creation in September 2023. Fredericksen cited hiring gains — 34 new attorneys, 13 legal assistants and 11 investigators — and said the OSPD budget has increased to about $83 million. He also noted the office implemented a case-management system and established four new offices in Elmore, Benewah, Shoshone and Jerome.
Committee members pressed for details about backlog and confidence in the rollout. Fredericksen said the office faced a “huge challenge” when seven district public defenders were covering approximately 1,300 cases but reported they had caught up and that conversations with the Idaho Supreme Court were positive. He described outreach and collaboration to rebuild confidence and identified two priorities moving forward: hiring more attorneys and hiring more social workers to support clients' broader needs.
Fredericksen told the committee the office had taken over Child Protection Act cases and achieved fiscal progress that allowed the staffing increases. Senators expressed guarded support; the minutes record Fredericksen saying his department was comfortable with the Governor’s budget. The minutes do not record additional committee action on this presentation.
