Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Assigned Counsel Positions topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Office of Assigned Counsel cleared to add two grant-funded attorney positions under Harrell Herring grant
Summary
The committee approved creation of a forensic attorney (grade 25) and a chief assistant attorney (grade 27) in the Office of Assigned Counsel, both funded by the Harrell Herring grant through the New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services; positions will be abolished if grant funding ends.
The Orange County Personnel and Compensation Committee on April 14 approved two competitive-class attorney positions for the Office of Assigned Counsel that the administrator said are fully funded by New York State grant programs tied to the Harrell Herring settlement.
Damien Brady, Administrator of the Office of Assigned Counsel, told the committee the proposed forensic attorney (grade 25) "will oversee and support our panel attorneys and the use of experts, investigators, and mitigation services." He said the post would also help manage the provider list for experts and investigators and that the office handles a disproportionate share of violent-felony cases compared with other local providers.
Brady said the current grant extends through March 2027. He described the funding history for the county: the office received roughly $11.7 million over the three-year grant period (about $3.9 million per year) as part of state ILS disbursements; Legal Aid receives a comparable share. Brady said the positions are contingent on continued grant funding and "would be abolished upon the loss of grant funding associated with the position."
The panel also approved a chief assistant attorney position (grade 27) to supervise the forensic/training/discovery appellate attorneys and to support oversight of the county's panel of more than 70 private attorneys. Brady said the county's reimbursement grants require quarterly claims and that the county has fiscal processes in place to submit those claims.
Both positions were described as competitive-class civil service roles (10 years experience required for these grades under the county's classification) and will follow standard civil service recruitment and ranking (state training-and-experience/exam processes). Committee members asked about salary ranges and how starting salaries would be determined; Brady said the state requires comparables and that the county would set starting pay within the approved grade range and in line with similar county offices.
Committee members approved both positions by voice vote. The motions carry a standard condition: the positions exist only as long as the state grant funding continues.
