They are fighting fire with fire.
The former Chief Deputy left the County with access to information that Paoli wouldn't be able to get any other way than bringing a former prosecutor on board to defend Johnson with. If that doesn't scream conflict of interest, I don't know what does.
Paoli is well known to overstep the boundaries of civility to lawyers across the state. He is a bully and he is armed with the knowledge of Ms. Pabst to help him continue his regular ways.
You guys are hilarious. You'd want an army of attorneys to prosecute another defendant if his last name wasn't on the uniform of the Montana Grizzlies. But now, when he is one of your own, you are shocked and upset at the "waste of resources," sounding off on what you think you know about the victim and what the judge "should" do.
As soon as Trent McKinney really starts clicking (which he will), this new found passion for justice will start to fade. That's the way it goes with fans like you.