Fulton County reaffirms Public Defender's 40-hour workweek tied to Indigent Defense Grant

On Feb. 17, 2026, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted to reaffirm that the Public Defender's salary will reflect a 40-hour workweek effective Jan. 1, 2026. Commissioner Hervey P. Hann made the motion after the commissioners met with Public Defender Phil Harper and Administrative Assistant Cheryl Deshong to review office matters, including hours worked in conjunction with the Indigent Defense Grant.

The board’s minutes record that the motion to reaffirm the 40-hour workweek passed unanimously with the entry “all in favor.” The commissioners did not record additional changes to pay rate or salary amounts in the public minutes; the action as entered applies specifically to the workweek standard tied to the grant-related hours review.

Public Defender Phil Harper and Administrative Assistant Cheryl Deshong attended the meeting and provided staff-level information to the board; the public minutes do not include direct quotes or detailed staffing schedules. The motion’s effective date is Jan. 1, 2026, as stated in the motion recorded in the minutes.

Next steps: the minutes show no separate vote on pay amounts, and no additional personnel details were disclosed in public session. Any administrative or payroll updates required to reflect the reaffirmed 40-hour standard would be handled by county payroll and recorded in future payroll actions.