Fourth generation Bitterrooter Bree Williamson is Ravalli County’s newest public defender. “It’s been a challenge,” she says, “probably the biggest one being that you have individual people depending on you, looking for answers.” WILL MOSS - Ravalli Republic

The constitutional right to legal counsel.

This spring, one of Hamilton’s hometown girls added her name to the list of people who, for 217 years, have worked to uphold the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Bree Williamson, a fresh University of Montana School of Law graduate, eighth generation Montanan and fourth generation Bitterrooter, has returned to her roots as a Ravalli County Public Defender.

“I never imagined I’d be practicing criminal public defense in Ravalli County” Williamson said. “I was always interested in justice, in things being right and I always wanted to be a prosecutor, although it’s still funny when I walk by George Corn and he tells me he remembers me when I was 12.”

Immediately upon passing the state bar exam, Williamson was sworn in and put to work this April.

“The learning curve is pretty extreme. I was in court right away and I had to really learn on the go,” she said. “Thankfully, I have a huge support system and incredible, great people in my office. They’re incredible people. The work has been a challenge, probably the biggest one being that you have individual people depending on you, looking for answers.”

Williamson spends most of her time in Ravalli County Justice Court, where she says the most common offenses she sees are alcohol related, no car insurance and partner family member assault.

“Drinking and driving is big tradition in Montana,” she said. “There’s no public transportation system and the towns are spread out. What do you do if you’re drinking in Stevensville, but you live in Hamilton? For a lot of people, unfortunately, that means driving.”

Williamson said substance abuse is the number one issue she sees in justice court, perhaps an unfortunate side effect of many cyclical social and familial problems.

“People forget that these are not bad people,” she said. “They’re people who are struggling who maybe grew up in an alcoholic family, not having their basic needs met. When they get older, the cycle of problems and alcohol repeats itself. It’s tough because sometimes the paperwork doesn’t show the whole picture. A lot of my clients are good people who made an out-of-character poor decision, I’ve met some of the greatest people in my clients.”

Fines and charges associated with DUIs can be a big hit for some people, Williamson said.

“It’s interesting, a lot of times I see people who have money, pay their fees and be done,” she said. “But for those other people who are struggling, $500 can be a hit for them, for anyone, really. It can be life changing stuff, even if it’s a misdemeanor. The courts are good with that, especially justice and city court. Judge Bailey and Reardon understand for a lot of people, it’s hand to mouth.”

Facing an uphill financial battle is something Williamson understands as a fresh law school graduate having paid out-of-state tuition, supplemented with a modest income.

“Growing up here, I’ve seen the valley really change. At the time, my friends and I were growing up in working, poor families but we didn’t know it then,” she said. “Now, I see my friends’ parents who are professionals starting to retire without an influx of new, young professionals to replace them. Of course, a factor in that may be income. I think the county may have some problems in filling positions in the future because of that. I spent two years out of Montana when I was younger, so I had to pay out-of-state tuition for law school, that’s nearly twice as much as in-state. So now I find myself working for a state office, in public defense where it’s hard to afford to be a lawyer.”

Williamson said despite those heavy school loans, she’s thankful for the experience.

“I’m so lucky to have such great people around me, teaching and helping me. I think the experience and guidance I’m receiving is really incomparable with a lot of what my friends are doing. I can’t say enough good things about my office. Dave Stenerson, my boss, is brilliant. Just having that personal touch, interest and time is so helpful. I never have a question go unanswered. In the same way, Ravalli County is lucky to have retained their prosecutors for so long, who are also incredibly hardworking and smart people.”

Williamson said she hopes to work closely with the county’s prosecutors, in the name of justice.

“My goal is to have the best relationship with them because in the end we want the same result - justice.” she said. “We’re both after a reasonable and fair result, because we’re taking care of the community.”

While Williamson said she may not be sold on public defense as a career, she’s happy to be in her hometown.

“Law is a hard profession for anybody,” Williamson said. “I don’t know if I’ll be doing this forever, even if I do leave, I’ll come back, Montana is definitely home. For now, I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. If there’s one thing I learned, it’s believing in the system, we’re a system of limited government which means we have rights.”

Reporter Jenny Harris can be reached at 363-3300 or at jharris@ravallirepublic.com

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Peter Pilkey wrote on Aug 22, 2008 1:25 PM:

" Best of Luck Bree.
It is interesting that someone is trying to establish Constitutional rights in Ravalli County, where they have been so long invisible. Please get rid of the Rubber stamp in the Ravalli Public Defenders office which indicates "Per Se".
You have a great future a head of you. "

John Mills wrote on Aug 19, 2008 4:46 AM:

" It is about time and her Curriculum Vitae speaks for itself. Will you take on the Hamilton City Council and the Ravalli County Commisioner's if collusion with developer's can be proven? "

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