Graham County supervisors approve series of legal and service contracts including indigent-defense and dependency‑alternative agreements

Graham County supervisors on June 1 approved a set of county legal and service contracts and accepted a recurring federal grant intended to offset detention and jail costs.

The board voted to accept FY25 funding from the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) after the sheriff described the grant’s typical uses — construction, training, re‑entry programs, overtime and related jail expenses. "Yes, that's exactly right. ... we do get a little little bit of money for this," the sheriff said as he outlined allowable uses for the funds.

The board also approved a single‑case payment to Palivard (appears in the packet as Palvery/Palivard) Behavioral Health for a court‑ordered mental‑health evaluation dating to October; county counsel said the county is statutorily responsible for those evaluations and negotiated the bill down to roughly $6,500 before seeking board approval.

County staff then presented three indigent‑defense agreements. Mindy Young introduced a ratification for attorney Raaya L. Alvarez for the remainder of FY26 (back‑dated to an April appointment) and for FY27, to handle juvenile appeals and adult postconviction‑relief matters. Young cited applicable court rules for appointed counsel and noted the general fund supports these costs. "Pursuant to rule 3 31.5 of the Arizona rules of criminal procedure, the court is required to appoint indigent defense on appeals and postconviction relief matters," she said.

Supervisors next approved a FY27 hourly contract for attorney Elizabeth Hail (adult and juvenile appeals) and a similar hourly FY27 contract for attorney Jessica Zachary, both of whom were described as regular providers of appeals work. Board members asked about billing trends; Young said appeals-related costs have risen as jury trials—and subsequent appeals—have increased.

The board renewed a FY27 limited‑services transcription contract with vendor Tracy Corey, who provides certified written transcripts for indigent‑defense cases at reduced county rates through a secure portal. Young said the county does not employ a court reporter for routine hearings and relies on outside vendors; she and a judge on a pilot program discussed early experimentation with AI for transcripts but concluded current AI tools were not yet adequate.

Finally, supervisors approved a FY27 limited‑representation contract under the Dependency Alternative Program (DAP) with attorney Day (listed in materials as Channon/Shannon Day). Young said DAP offers a fast‑track mediation and settlement path for simple dependency cases (for example, custody gaps following a DUI), charging a flat $1,700 per qualifying case. She told the board that DAP cases frequently resolve in a day and that the county’s prior use of the program has produced notable savings: "I ran the figures ... I think we were well over $40,000 by now in savings from DAP," Young said. She described the typical funding split as about $1,500 charged to the general fund and $200 to a Title IV‑E grant for qualifying matters.

All motions were approved by voice vote and carried without recorded opposition.

What happens next: the contracts take effect per their stated fiscal‑year terms and the county will continue to manage indigent‑defense appointments, transcription needs and DAP case screening through existing staff processes. The board recessed into an executive session after completing public business.

Sources: Statements and motions recorded during the Graham County Board of Supervisors meeting on June 1, 2026.