OPD acknowledges staffing vacancies, attorney shortages, and growing caseloads
At a budget meeting on July 21, Great Falls city court judges identified the public defender delay as a key challenge facing the local court system, a problem judges said has created scheduling headaches, case delays, and has left some people waiting in jail without an attorney.
“I would say the bigger problem is the delay with the public defender’s office,” Dunn told the city commissioners. “And I have found there have been cases 30 to sometimes 60 days out where someone does not have an appointed attorney. And those cases are being continued one to two times before an attorney is even assigned.”
The Montana Office of the State Public Defender (OPD) is the state agency responsible for providing defense attorneys to people who cannot afford private representation. The agency operates 20 offices across the state and also contracts with private-practice attorneys to cover its workload.
In statements to Montana Free Press and in agency reports, the OPD acknowledged several challenges, including difficulty filling vacant positions, a shortage of contract attorneys, and growing caseloads.