HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05261987 - 1.28 1--028
TO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: PHIL BATCHELOR Contra
County Administrator
Costa
DATE'. May' 18, 1987 County
SUBJECT: AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT WITH CONTRA COSTA COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
FOR CONFLICT DEFENSE SERVICES
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(.S) a BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION: ,
Authorize the County Administrator or his designee to execute a contract amendment with
the Contra Costa County Bar Association for conflict defense services to increase the
payment limit up to $1,500,000 for fiscal year 1986/87.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Funds are included in the approved budget for 1986/87 to cover the costs of the Bar
contract and any remaining orders for attorneys' payment for conflict cases initiated
before the first contract became effective in 1984/85. The 1986/87 approved budget for
Budget Unit 0248 is currently $1,570,000. No additional funds need to be appropriated at
this time for Budget Unit 0248.
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS/BACKGROUND:
In 1983, your Board became very concerned about controlling the escalating costs of
court-appointed counsel in conflict cases. As directed by your Board, the County
Administrator's Office organized a task force which recommended that the County contract
with the Contra Costa County Bar Association for conflict defense services. A contract
was executed for 1984/85.
The current contract with the Bar Association is operative until September 30, 1987 and
continues the current fee schedule until that time. The cooperation of the Contra Costa
County Bar Association and its Conflict Program Administrator have been critical to the
County's ability to contain costs where possible, while guaranteeing constitutional
representation of indigents in conflict cases. As indicated in the Third Quarter Budget
Report, the increased expenditures for conflict defense services can be attributed to a
number of factors. First, a projected 13% increase in the number of cases referred by the
Public Defender's Offices for representation by the Criminal Conflict Program. Second,
the program has been paying this year for a number of homicide cases and two capital
cases, which . are very expensive to defend. Third, there has been an increase in the
number of felony information filings in Superior Court, which are now at over 1,700
filings per year. This increase is attributable to a vigorous prosecution effort,
including the CLEAN ST drug program, which generates a large number of cases from the City
of Richmond and unincorporated areas in West county.
CONSEQUENCES OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
After the contract payment limit is reached, appointment and approval of payments to
private attorneys for conflict cases will revert to the method used before the 1984/85
contract and become a responsibility of the judges again yment o co lict attorney
services is a mandated County cost.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: _ YES SIGNATURE;
X RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION O OAR COMMITTEE
X APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S)'
ACTION OF BOARD ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
--�— I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT; ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CC-. CAO-Justice System Programs ATTESTED _ MAY 2 6 1987
CCC .Bar Association--Attu: Conflict PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
Program Administrator SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
M382/7-83 BY ���ff DEPUTY