Public Defender Association reports caseload decline, outlines staffing and funding goals

Representatives of the Utah County Public Defender Association briefed the commission during a work session on March 2 about last year’s performance, finances and goals for 2022.

Benjamin Young, financial manager for the Public Defender Association, said the organization is a 501(c)(3) that receives the bulk of its revenue from the Utah County budget supplemented by Indigent Defense Commission (IDC) matching funds. He reported a cost-per-case estimate of $1,262 and administrative expenses at about 11.8% of total expenses. Young said the association exceeded its budget by about $234,000 but COVID-related credits and employee retention credits offset that excess so no additional county funds were requested at the time.

Chief Counsel Josh Hesplen and Young highlighted program changes they say improved efficiency: bringing social-worker services in-house reduced costs (including a reported $36,000 reduction for justice court services), expanded training and a pipeline of law‑student interns who can represent in court, day supervisors for court days, and specialty-court specialization. Hesplen described how social workers screen for competency concerns and connect clients to alternatives to incarceration.

Young said the number of trials set for trial has fallen from roughly 110 to about 60. He reported an average controllable‑task caseload per attorney of about 46.7 and said the goal is to get that metric closer to 40 controllable hours per attorney. The association said it will seek additional funding if workload trends exceed capacity but that it has absorbed some growth without a formal county funding request.

Commissioners thanked the presenters and urged continued tracking over time as county growth changes demand. The presenters closed the session after a question-and-answer period.