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Council approves $250‑per‑hour contract for appellate indigent defense services
Summary
Mount Vernon council approved an indigent defense contract setting appellate conflict attorney pay at $250 per hour to address a shortage of qualified appellate counsel; city staff said appellate conflict cases are infrequent but require specialized expertise.
The Mount Vernon City Council on April 23 authorized a contract to hire appellate indigent defense counsel at a proposed rate of $250 per hour to handle conflict appellate cases, citing a limited pool of qualified attorneys and the technical demands of appeals.
The contract matters because it establishes the city’s pay rate for rare but time‑intensive appellate conflict work; staff said the higher rate reflects market conditions for appellate specialists.
Steve Sexton (presenting the item as city staff) told the council that appellate conflict cases are infrequent but “demand significant time and expertise,” and that the proposed $250 hourly rate exceeds the city’s normal conflict‑attorney rate of $100 per hour. Sexton said his online research showed Washington appellate attorneys typically charge between about $159 and $432 per hour, which informed the recommendation.
Council member Melissa moved to approve the contract; Council member Mary seconded. The council voted to approve the contract by voice vote; the clerk recorded the motion as passing.
The contract was placed on the agenda for discussion rather than the consent calendar because it exceeded the city’s usual conflict‑counsel rate. Council did not identify a specific appellate firm on the record during the meeting; the contract document and firm name were not specified in the public discussion.
City staff did not provide an estimated annual cost because appellate conflict work occurs irregularly and is billed hourly as cases arise. The council did not attach additional provisos to the approval at the meeting.
The action is effective immediately for cases that meet the city’s conflict and appellate assignment criteria, and staff said they would proceed under the authorized hourly rate.
