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Interim public defender reports reforms; commissioners weigh contractor pay and staffing for public defense
Summary
Interim public defender Stan Myers reported improved courtroom readiness and proposed converting a key contractor to a higher monthly rate to take new cases.
Interim director Stan Myers told the board that reorganization, supervision and an emphasis on moving older cases forward have improved the county public defender office's courtroom performance. Myers said the office has added a private investigator and instructed attorneys to set clear investigative timelines, and that judges have noticed better preparation in court.
Myers gave an operational update: he plans to move back into the county, and said he is assessing whether to replace his interim slot when his appointment ends. He described contract attorney Randy Tease, who has been paid $9,000 per month as a contractor, and proposed increasing his compensation to approximately $11,000 per month so that Tease will take new cases and provide drug-court coverage. The current contract for the contractor was described as ending at the end of the year.
Commissioners asked Myers to refine the professional-services line for the Oct. 22 budget work session and to estimate potential cost savings from absorbing some functions in-house. They also discussed uncertainty stemming from pending litigation over standards that might shift costs to counties and asked Myers to provide a scenario of professional-services needs for the coming fiscal year.
No formal budget vote was taken Oct. 7; staff will supply refined professional-services projections and carryover estimates before the budget work session.
