HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06161987 - 1.76 'M-7
T ,: r BOARD OF SUPERVISORS "� s
O,
Contra
FROM: PATRICK R. MURPHY, PUBLIC DEFENDER (Costa
DATE: JUNE 1, 1987 County
SUBJECT: REQUEST TO INCREASE PUBLIC DEFENDER' S REVOLVING FUND
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
I. RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Approve request ana authorize an increase in the Public
Defender ' s Revolving Fund from $150 . 00 to $650 . 00. Approve
establishment of a checking account for the Public Defender ' s
Revolving Fund.
II . FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There will be no additional cost to the County if this request
is approved. Funds will continue to be spent at their current
levels; however, replenishment of the fund will occur "less
frequently. Sufficient funds are allocated in budget unit
0243 , Services and Supplies Accounts, to fund the cost of the
transactions discussed below.
III . REASONS FOR RECOMMMENDATION/BACKGROUND:
The Petty Cash Fund for the Office of the Public Defender
is set at $150. 00 which is inadequate to handle the day-to-day
transactions which occur in dealing with the defense of criminal
cases in that office.
It is often ,necessary in defending indigents accused of a crime
to bring witnesses in from out-of-county and out-cf-state and
to pay the travel, food and lodging cost of these witnesses
who are required to spend from one to several days in the area.
The majority of these people do not have money available to pay .
for their living expenses and then seek reimbursement. Thus ,
the Office of the public Defender must be able to advance them
monies to pay the cost of their living expenses and transporta-
tion.
The Public Defender would like to reduce the use of his staff to
transport witnesses and would prefer instead to advance monies
to witnesses for taxi , bus' and/or train fare.
The Public Defender on occasion must utilize the 'services of
Federal Express when it is necessary that subpoenas or court
papers be received out of the county within one day. - Federal
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: 4Z ' l
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COM
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S)
ACTION OF BOARD ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT > I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AYES: NOES: AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CC: County Administrator ATTESTED
JUN 16 1987
Auditor-Controller j .Phil Batchelor, Clerk of the Board of
Public Defender Supervisors and County Administrator
M382/7-83 BY /`tee � . DEPUTY
Express will not accept a County Purchase Order and must be
paid out of the Public Defender ' s Revolving Fund. Because the
Public Defender ' s Revolving Fund presently has a limit of only
$150 . 00 and is spread over three office locations , there are
occasions when the Revolving Fund does not contain sufficient
monies. When these occasions occur, the Public Defender Staff
must utilize their personal monies and then seek reimbursement
at a later date. This is an imposition on our staff which we
would like to see eliminated.
IV. CONSEQUENCES OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The failure to approve this recommendation will result in the
continuation of Public Defender Staff time being utilized to
transport witnesses rather than arranging and paying for public
transportation for witnesses. The practice of hand-carrying
requests through the Auditor-Controller ' s Office to advance
witnesses cash for food and lodging would continue. This
procedure is expensive in staff time and clerical time and would
be eliminated if this request is approved.
I