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Legal defender outlines wide case mix, contract pressures and a request for investigator capacity
Summary
Legal Defender Joe Carver told the board his office covers a wider range of case types than the public defender, manages contracted attorneys when conflicts occur, and asked the county to consider creating in‑house investigative or paralegal support rather than relying on costly external contracts.
Legal Defender Joe Carver briefed the Board of Supervisors May 7 on the office’s structure, case mix and fiscal pressures from contract costs and falling fee revenues.
What the office does: Carver explained that the Legal Defender’s Office provides representation in child‑dependency, guardianship, Title 36 mental‑health cases and appeals, and serves as the county’s administrative hub to contract private counsel when the public defender has conflicts. He said that role is broader than in some larger counties where contract management sits in a separate indigent legal services department.
Budget pressures and contracts: The office reported roughly 3,600 new appointments annually across case types and said contracted counsel are still needed for conflicts and complex prosecutions. Carver presented a cross‑county comparison showing the county’s typical private‑attorney rates are competitive with other Arizona counties (about $75/hour on average) but noted recruiting out‑of‑county counsel requires travel and can be difficult.
Investigator capacity request: Carver asked the board to consider converting a 0.5 FTE case‑support position to full time or creating in‑house investigative capacity. He argued that many cases require small amounts of investigative or paralegal work—often 1–3 hours—and that contracting investigators for every matter is inefficient and costly. County management did not recommend the full‑time increase for FY26 because it is a recurring cost, but the office said it would appreciate a one‑year extension of limited hours and said it will return with alternatives.
Revenue context: The Legal Defender noted declines in two state fee sources that historically supported training and other expenses, and warned those revenues have dropped substantially over five years. The office asked the board to preserve the indigent legal services contract fund as a contingency for extraordinary cases while the state dependency grant (House Bill funds) covers most dependency contracting.
Ending: Carver said the office will formalize some internal administrative roles and continue to expand staff capabilities (particularly digital evidence handling), and asked for follow‑up on contract funding and investigator options.
