Public Defender’s Office Sees Huge Drop in Caseloads

The Montana public defender's office says a new state law has reduced the agency's total caseload by 5 percent. According to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle the office of the State Public Defender has seen a 10 percent decrease in municipal and justice court cases.

Peter Ohman the division administrator says the reduction is largely due to reforms passed by state lawmakers in 2017. The public defender's office has struggled for years with a rising caseload. Lawmakers passed a bill last year that reorganized the agency, eliminated jail time for numerous misdemeanors and aimed to cut recidivism rates.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story)