The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the state of Utah over a public defender system the organization says is underfunded, overworked and fails those accused of crimes from their constitutional right to a defense lawyer.
The ACLU of Utah has called on state lawmakers to make changes for five years but said Tuesday that lawmakers haven't done enough.
The ACLU's class-action lawsuit names six men as plaintiffs who are currently facing charges such as theft and drug crimes. The ACLU says the men have had little interaction with their assigned public defenders.
Utah is one of only two states where local governments are required to fund all indigent defense without state help.
Parker Douglas with the Utah Attorney General's office says they're reviewing the lawsuit but Utah has been taking steps to ensure defendants are properly represented.