Board approves investigator panel policy: up to $75 per hour within existing $2,000 cap

The Public Defender Service Corporation Board moved to establish a managed investigator panel and to set a standard hourly rate for outside investigators at up to $75 per hour, with an existing per‑case cap of $2,000. The board adopted the motion by voice vote.

Staff presented the item as an operational measure: PDSC currently has a $2,000 investigator cap but no standard hourly rate. Staff said research of other jurisdictions showed typical investigator rates ranging from roughly $50 to $75 per hour and recommended $75 as a reasonable standard for the panel. Trustees and staff discussed conflicts (how to avoid investigators working on cases with conflicts), the potential to recruit retired or part‑time investigators, and the process for approving exceptions to the cap on complex matters.

Under the adopted approach, staff will recruit a panel of investigators (estimated four to eight members) who can be assigned when in‑house staff investigators are unavailable or conflicted. The $2,000 per‑case cap remains in place; the $75 hourly figure creates a predictable rate (approximately 26 hours of investigator work at the cap). Board members noted that attorneys will continue to assess each file early to determine whether investigator work is likely to exceed the cap and that the board can consider case‑by‑case exceptions through formal motions.

Next steps: Staff will incorporate the $75/hour standard into the investigator standard operating procedure (SOP), recruit panel members and circulate the SOP and a recruitment plan to trustees. The board approved the item by voice vote; no additional appropriation was made during the meeting.