Lawmakers Consider Public Defense Reform Proposal

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A group of Idaho lawmakers charged with improving the state's uneven public defense system got their first look at draft legislation that would overhaul how the state handles its poorest defendants.

The proposal would require counties to submit annual compliance plans, which would include cost analyses, to a state commission. If approved, counties would have the opportunity to receive state funding to help fill funding gaps. However, the legislation was already torn apart with possible revisions just hours after going before the Public Defense Interim Committee on Tuesday.

Lawmakers hope to present a comprehensive solution to the 2016 Idaho Legislature. Idaho's current system — where many counties contract public defense work out to private attorneys — has been widely criticized by legal experts for having low funding and high caseloads.