The LACE requested that we complete this evaluation as a follow-up to that 2010 report, and we unfortunately found that some of these same s challenges persist for the public defender system 16 years later.

First, we found that Minnesota Board of Public Defense's case load standards are outdated and do not reflect public defender workloads. Second, we found that public defenders in we found that a large share of public defenders in several judicial districts reported high workloads. And third, while Minnesota Board of Public Defense's governing board has fulfilled some of its statutory duties, we found that the board has not provided effective leadership.

Given the issues we identified as we did in 2010, we recommend that BOPD conduct an updated case load study and update its case load standards. I'll note that based on the direction from the board in 2024, BOPD has begun reviewing its case load standards and this work is ongoing.

How do we measure the out outcome besides we just need more people to do more things and we hope the outcomes will be better. What would be the metrics that we need to actually measure to determine that those resources would actually provide better or or it's hard to to describe what a better outcome is besides um that each person was sufficiently represented in the best manner possible with the changing times and I think technology and all those things that um that you've listed.

Is it is uh can that information be obtained? I mean, h what is it fair to assume that part of the case load is being consumed through illegal immigrants and that's driving the case load up? And if that was eliminated, would the case load then be at a place where we wouldn't need additional funding?

Miss Nata, one, it sounds like from the report in your testimony, it sounds like this board is almost negligent in its uh um in its approach to its duties. Um can you remind us um the composition of the board? Uh how they're appointed, how often they meet, um how long their terms are, um how much do we pay them? Do we give them benefits?

I also want to note that we had a member earlier ask was it fair to say that the increase in the case load was because of undocumented uh immigrants and uh I don't see any evidence even to suggest that question in this document. It is not fair to say that. Um, I think as legislators, we have to live in a world of evidence and facts and to draw a conclusion uh based I could see if there was a paragraph or two or a finding, but I I don't see that in here.

I mean in the basic way having people is is really is the answer. Um, I would use today's testimony as exhibit A for this upcoming January session as to why we are deserving and need a large increase in in in our funding.

Mental health issues in this state are just exponentially, you know, 10 times higher than they were 15, 20 years ago. And we don't have a community continuity of care in this in this state. We don't have the resources for that.

The idea that that they haven't been filing doing the best weighted case load standards for those of you who don't know the idea of this w of this national standard that didn't come out until the end of 2024. It wasn't even in existence until 2024. It was done by the Rand study that didn't do a study. It studied seven other studies and then some to see what the case load number should be. Even then that study met with private counsel. It didn't take into account non- attorney staff. It didn't take into account the work that we do not in just as litigating, preparing cases, but working with clients as well, secretary time, that sort of thing.

I'm not hearing the urgency uh from from the table right now uh about uh about the findings of this particular report. I would invite the gentlemen who are sitting there to to maybe take these findings a little more seriously and I would the board members who are listening in um to to to read this and and you know I would commend it uh to them to to take this this analysis this program evaluation from the auditor um to heart because these are some serious matters.