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Graham County approves indigent defense agreements for four justice-court attorneys
Summary
The Board approved FY26 indigent defense agreements in Graham County Justice Court for four attorneys; the board discussed proportionality of indigent-defense costs and a clarification that counsel is assigned when jail time is at issue.
Jessica Garner, representing the Graham County Justice Court, asked the board to approve indigent-defense agreements for four misdemeanor defense attorneys for fiscal year 2026.
"I'm just here to get the approval for our indigent indigent, defense attorneys for our misdemeanor cases for justice court," Garner said, and identified four individual contracts the court requested the board to approve.
A board member raised concerns about spending proportional to the alleged offense, saying, "if someone's going to steal the $2 candy bar, I sure hate to have the county pay $450 to have them represented in a $2 candy bar case. So just, you know, I'm just hoping that things are proportional." Garner responded, "We only give attorneys when there is jail time being asked. So it wouldn't be for 1 of those cases," and added that applicants must complete a screening application to show financial need.
The board voted to approve indigent-defense agreements between Graham County Justice Court and attorneys Dennis McCarthy, Rebecca Johnson, Raymond Geiser and Josie Lopez for FY26. The board recorded the approvals by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the minutes provided.
Why it matters: the agreements commit county funds to meet state-mandated indigent-defense obligations when jail is a possible outcome, and supervisors emphasized the county's legal obligation while also questioning cost proportionality for lower-level offenses.
Details and context: Board members noted the county pays standardized fees for indigent representation and reiterated that assignment follows the court’s screening process and the presence of potential jail exposure.
What’s next: The justice court will proceed with the contracted attorneys when indigent representation is required under applicable procedures.
