Great Falls Tribune — Public Defenders — Galsworthy Criminal Justice Reform Program

Public Defenders

Defendants on the lower end of the socio-economic scale find themselves at the mercy of public defenders who are swamped with cases, understaffed, and underfunded. Research shows that even before mass incarceration accelerated in the 1980s, overburdened systems of indigent defense struggled to meet the 6th Amendment constitutional mandate. Public defenders usually have the deck stacked against them due to discovery laws favoring prosecutors and lack of sufficient resources.

Budget shortfall threatens rights of accused

"The hardships of the public defender's office are not new. Public defender offices are regularly spilling over with cases. Staff turnover is around 25 percent and the officials hope to address an issue of representing clients who don't actually qualify for court-appointed representation. Add to the list the Office of Public Defender's operational expenses: approximately $74.5 million, or in other words, $9.5 million more than its funding from the state from the last regular session."

Great Falls Tribune

June 11, 2018

Lack of FundingAnthony BradleyJuly 30, 2018Great Falls Tribune, Montana

Public Defenders

Galsworthy CJR Program

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