To: Board of Supervisors
From: County Administrative Office
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT:
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Rate Schedule Adjustment for the Humboldt County Court-Appointed Attorney Program (HCAAP)
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve the adjusted schedule of rates for court-appointed attorneys representing indigent defendants in the Humboldt County Superior Court, effective immediately; and
2. Authorize the County Administrative Officer, County Counsel and Humboldt County Court Executive Officer, or designees thereof, to continue serving as the committee to oversee the HCAAP attorneys and carry out the duties described in the rate schedule; and
3. Authorize the Committee to modify program and billing guidelines and procedures as necessary as long as rates are not increased.
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STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports the following areas of your Board's Strategic Plan.
Area of Focus: Core Services/Other
Strategic Plan Category: 9999 - Core Services/Other
DISCUSSION:
The County Administrative Office continues to experience challenges securing and retaining qualified attorneys and investigators to represent indigent defendants when cases cannot be handled by either the Public Defender or Conflict Counsel due to conflicts of interest. The county is mandated to provide competent indigent defense services, and the rate structure, which has not been updated since 2019 is in need of updating in order to keep pace with salary increases for comparable employees and market rates. This agenda item is requesting your Board approve a rate structure that is in line with other counties in the region and comparable to county salaries.
The hourly rates for court-appointed attorneys were last updated in March 2019, when rates were increased from a flat $65 per hour to the current tiered structure.
Currently, Humboldt County's court-appointed attorneys receive the following hourly rates:
* Class One...
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