Source: CVDaily Feed
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A new public defender has been hired by Cache County and County Attorney James Swink said it is something that has been needed for some time. On KVNU’s For the People program Wednesday, Swink said, in fact, he had been told the county could be sued unless it provided another attorney to represent the indigent population.
Swink said a bill sponsored by Senator Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, during the last season of the Utah legislature made that a requirement. Swink said Cache County Executive Craig Buttars helped to get the money approved by the County Council.
“Craig took that on and one of the first tasks he did was he met with all the judges, he met with all the defense attorneys,” Swink explained, “he took information from the public and he went to work restructuring that system. He’s done a wonderful job.
“We’ve added a public defender. As he talked to the judges they expressed a need for an additional public defender to cover their case loads.”
Swink said in most places the state pays for public defenders, but in Utah that is up to the counties instead.