Council approves public defender contract and Secret Service mutual‑aid pact

Lexington Town Council on April 6 approved two administrative agreements aimed at ensuring court representation and bolstering cybercrime investigations.

Public defender contract: Council approved a 12‑month contract with Deborah Moore to provide municipal public defender services for Lexington Municipal Court. The contract sets compensation at $200 per hour (not to exceed $400 per case) and includes an annual cap of $24,000 plus reimbursable expenses such as interpreters and investigative services. Council Member Will Allen moved approval and the motion passed unanimously.

Mutual‑aid agreement for cyber/electronic crime: The council also voted unanimously to enter a mutual‑aid agreement between the Lexington Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service to support investigations of electronic and cyber fraud‑related crimes. Council Member Todd Lau presented the agreement, which staff previously reviewed at a March work session and included the proposed collaboration language.

Why it matters: the public defender contract ensures the town meets its obligation to provide counsel for indigent defendants in municipal court on a predictable, capped basis. The Secret Service agreement formalizes investigative cooperation for increasingly complex electronic fraud cases and enables resource sharing between local and federal law enforcement.

Next steps: both agreements were approved as presented and will be implemented by the town manager's office and the police department per standard administrative processes.