Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Criminal Justice topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County attorney backs compromise on assigned‑counsel travel pay after panel attrition
Summary
At a Public Safety Committee meeting, Attorney Francisco said prior cuts to travel time pay removed some attorneys from panels; he supported restoring a travel allowance at $75 (down from $150) to help recruit counsel, and members discussed conflicts and assignment volumes.
The Public Safety Committee considered a change to assigned‑counsel compensation that members said was intended to stabilize attorney availability for county assignments.
Attorney Francisco told the committee that an earlier resolution trimming travel‑time and mileage pay for assigned counsel caused disruption and led some attorneys to leave panels, particularly in family court. He characterized the proposed measure as a compromise: restoring a reduced travel allowance (the prior rate was $150; the compromise would be $75) could encourage attorneys who had stopped taking assignments to return.
Committee members asked how assignments are routed and whether the public defender can represent both sides in family court (it cannot, Francisco said, because of conflicts). He said family‑court work generates a heavier assignment load in a county with broad income eligibility and that criminal work produces fewer assignment conflicts because the public defender typically represents the defendant in those matters.
After questions about caseload splits and assignment timing, the committee voted to move the resolution forward to the full board.
