Public Defender trustees review allotments, caseloads and rollout issues for new bus-pass law

The Public Defender Board of Trustees met Tuesday, Dec. 31, and heard fiscal and operational updates showing recent allotments to the Public Defender Service Corporation (PDSC), a snapshot of pretrial case volumes and early data on electronic monitoring and on-the-ground implementation issues with a recently enacted bus-pass law.

Fiscal staff reported that PDSC received November–December allotments totaling $1,367,776 and that the agency overall is operating at about 90 percent of budgeted levels (APD at about 91 percent). The fiscal report noted several program-specific funding items and outstanding invoices; staff said some contract payments from the Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) remain unpaid and that ARPA funds would be used until exhausted before drawing on some released funds. The fiscal officer provided program-level inflow figures for several grants and stated that invoices for two programs had not yet been paid by the agencies responsible.

Board members were also briefed on caseloads and pretrial indicators. Executive Attorney Mr. Torres reported about 1,992 “prejudgment” cases on the office’s docket and provided courtroom-level status flags intended to show pretrial status. Staff presented electronic-monitoring application data for 2024 through mid-December: 92 applications were filed, 27 were marked eligible, 40 were marked ineligible by the operations office, 25 remained pending and 33 monitoring requests had been granted; 14 were denied. Staff said those numbers cover mainly pretrial registrations.

Board members discussed early implementation of a public law passed roughly two months ago that authorizes distribution of bus passes to individuals who need them to access public services. Mr. Torres said the law designates several agencies to serve as distribution points — including the judiciary and the Department of Public Health and Social Services — and that recipients are generally to receive three bus passes to attend court, apply for benefits or reach required appointments. Board members and staff noted the law had been implemented without dedicated funding; Guam Regional Transit (GRTA) staff and PDSC planned a follow-up meeting to work out distribution guidelines and funding logistics. Mr. Torres told the board that the transit agency ships passes in batches and that there does not appear to be a statutory cap on the number of passes but that the program could become overwhelmed without clear eligibility rules.

Several trustees requested that the public defender and APD compile a tally or census of clients receiving bus passes so the board and probation can monitor whether distribution is meeting need-based criteria. Trustees emphasized that a request for a bus pass does not itself prove lack of other transportation and that guidelines should prevent automatic issuance without basic verification of need.

Carol, the Civil Law Center representative, reported program-level activity for the Elder Justice Center and related services. She said the Elder Justice Center recorded 93 cases in October–November 2024 compared with 97 cases for the same months in 2023, and that the center has begun community outreach in senior centers. Carol said the CLC signed memoranda of understanding with the University of Guam social work and criminal justice programs to pilot a senior legal clinic and to involve students in court-appointed guardian and paralegal supports.

Board members had no further questions on the fiscal report and operational statistics; multiple staff and trustees said follow-up reports would be provided at the next meeting to clarify unpaid invoices, grant billing status and the bus-pass distribution plan.