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Daggett County to pay half of requested indigent defense increase this year
Summary
The Daggett County Commission voted to add $5,225 to the county's indigent defense budget for 2025, covering half of a requested increase that would raise the county's annual contribution to $17,000 beginning next year; commissioners stressed reviewing case loads and budget impacts at year end.
The Daggett County Commission voted to provide an additional payment toward an increase in the county's indigent defense contribution, approving a one-time $5,225 payment for the remainder of this year while reserving the larger $17,000 annual contribution for future budget consideration. Unidentified Speaker 1 moved to pay half of the additional ask now; Unidentified Speaker 4 seconded, and the motion passed by voice vote.
The issue arose after Lance, the county's attorney or county-contracted counsel, said the county currently pays $6,550 and that the official request was to raise the county share to $17,000 per year. "I'll make a motion that we pay half of that ask," said Unidentified Speaker 1. Commissioners discussed timing of billing and whether the added amount should start this fiscal year or on Jan. 1, 2026.
Commissioners expressed concern about underfunding public defense. Unidentified Speaker 7 warned that too-low compensation for defense counsel can lead to ineffective-assistance findings and overturned cases, citing court reversals as a risk. "Because of the size of our county... we would be hard pressed to find the quality of public defenders and the amount of time they spend on the cases if we were to spend this out of pocket," Unidentified Speaker 7 said.
Board members asked Lance for an updated invoice and an amendment to the contract. The board asked Lance to provide supporting documents the county had previously used, including a memo on recoupment fees that Lance said he would send. Commissioners agreed to re-evaluate case counts at year end to see whether the county's share aligns with actual workload.
The motion approved by the commission directs staff to obtain an invoice for the additional $5,225 and to bring contract documentation and reimbursement materials back to the board for record and implementation. The board did not set next year's budget in this vote; members noted the full $17,000 annual contribution would be considered in the 2026 budget process.
