Public Defender Requests Additional Trial and Payroll Funding; Part‑time Position Tied to Grant

Public Defender Ryan (first name recorded in the meeting) told the LaSalle County Law and Justice Committee on Aug. 26 that his office will request modest increases to trial expenses and payroll lines and that one part‑time position has been paid from grant funds.

Ryan said funds from a state safety act grant provided roughly $109,000 across 2023–24 and that about $102,000 more was expected to arrive soon. He said that grant money has been used for computer equipment, dues (including ARDC fees), stipends and a part‑time, no‑benefits position currently paid exclusively from the grant. “So far, we have expended about $9,100,” he said of the grant payroll to date.

On trial costs, Ryan said the office’s trial expenses are driven largely by court‑ordered fitness and sanity evaluations, which can cost $2,000–$3,000 per evaluation and sometimes more when evaluators must review large discovery packages. He proposed increasing the trial expense line by $5,000, from $33,000 to $38,000, to cover the unpredictability of those costs.

Ryan also noted payroll and part‑time staffing are tied to state reimbursement rules: the state reimburses roughly two‑thirds of his salary, and any change to the part‑time position’s funding would affect how much the county must absorb. He asked the committee to go into executive session later in the meeting to discuss payroll details that are personnel‑sensitive; the committee agreed to address payroll in executive session.

Why it matters: Trial expert and fitness evaluation costs can quickly exceed budgeted amounts and affect the defender’s ability to staff cases; grant funds temporarily offset personnel costs but create future decisions about county funding for positions when grants end.