Commissioners sign misdemeanor reimbursement pilot agreement to recover 40% of public defender expenses

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners signed a pilot agreement July 25 to allow the county’s public defender program to recover 40% of expenses for misdemeanor cases, expanding an existing reimbursement arrangement that previously applied to other case types.

A county official said the public defender program already received 40% reimbursements for most of its work but not for misdemeanor cases. The pilot will permit the program to recover 40% of expenses for those cases; the agreement begins July 1 and is retroactive, according to discussion on the record.

County staff noted the agreement uses the same uniform state form in its exhibit A and that courts may already use that form for felony programs. The county auditor said the arrangement likely did not require separate county council approval because it repays budget funds already expended; the chair signed the contract after commissioners voted to approve.

A motion to authorize the chair to sign the misdemeanor reimbursement pilot program agreement was made, seconded and approved by voice vote; the chair signed the agreement on the record.

The commissioners did not discuss projected dollar amounts returned under the pilot at the July 25 meeting.