Montco To Hire 15 New Public Defenders In 'Historic' Investment

NORRISTOWN, PA — Montgomery County will hire 15 new public defenders and numerous support staff and a social worker as part of a major investment into the office, which it calls "historic."

The public defender's office has been understaffed for some time by the county's own admission and according to critics. In fact, 60 of Pennsylvania's 66 counties have staffing levels below the constitutionally-established minimum recommended level, according to county advisor and University of Pennsylvania researcher Paul Heaton, who directs the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice.

The county says its the largest investment its ever made into the public defender's office.

"Every resident has a constitutional right to counsel," Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija said in a statement. "That can’t happen if our public defenders don’t have the bandwidth to provide adequate representation. We have committed to this aggressive hiring plan that ensures the Public Defender’s Office is equipped to protect the right to counsel for county residents."

Beyond the understaffing and lack of funding that has plagued other public defender's offices around the state and country, Montgomery County has also faced other turmoil around that office in recent years. The controversial firing of chief public defenders Dean Beer and Keisha Hudson Brooks in 2020 brought national attention to the county. The pair were let go after filing an amicus brief arguing against bail hearings without lawyers of the accused present.

Several changes have been instituted several changes in the years since, and the hiring of chief public defender Christine P. Lora in June 2023 marked a new era for the office.

Among the changes instituted: defendants who cannot afford a lawyer now always have one with them at their initial arraignment, and defendants are not held before trial unless necessary for public safety. The county court has also reduced the amount of time individuals must wait in prison before an initial hearing is scheduled. Officials say these reforms and others have reduced the Montgomery County Correctional Facility population by 50 percent since 2018.

The recent decision to increase staffing comes on the heels of the last year's National Public Defense Workload Study which outlined the broad social benefits of increased funding to offices nationwide.