Utah’s indigent defense system is county-based, which means that each individual county is responsible for funding its own indigent defense system. In 2016, through the legislative process, the Utah Indigent Defense Commission (UIDC) was established to help protect constitutionally guaranteed liberties through support for effective indigent defense services.

While the IDC helps address a myriad of issues facing indigent defense, it is imperative to have individuals before the Legislature who are familiar with the unique obstacles often only faced by the indigent defense systems. These obstacles include access to resources like investigators, labs and testing facilities, evaluations, and experts.

In addition, the clientele of indigent defenders often encounters unique obstacles such as economic hardship or intergenerational poverty, drug addiction, and lack of access to resources. These unique obstacles create what’s referred to as the justice gap—the gap between legal needs and services available, demonstrated by the direct correlation between drug abuse, mental health symptoms, and crime. Therefore, it is imperative to have defense-based policy advocates that can attest to the unique needs of indigent defenders.