To: Board of Supervisors
From: Public Defender
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
SUBJECT:
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Exception to Hiring Freeze for the Humboldt County Public Defender's Division Office, Conflict Counsel and Appropriation Transfer of Funds (4/5th Vote Required)
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve an exception to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 hiring freeze for 1.0 FTE Deputy Public Defender, and
2. Approve the attached appropriation transfer of funds from Budget Unit 219, Public Defender to Budget Unit 246, Conflict Counsel (4/5th Vote Required).
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STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports the following areas of your Board's Strategic Plan.
Area of Focus: Workforce & Operational Excellence
Strategic Plan Category: 3003 - Enhance employee recruitment and retention
DISCUSSION:
On June 4, 2024, your Board approved a hiring freeze for FY 2024-25 for all budget units that were granted an Additional Request for General Fund Allocation (ARGFA). The Public Defender's budget unit 1100-246, Conflict Counsel, received an ARGFA and therefore is subject to the hiring freeze.
Recently, a Deputy Public Defender with the Conflict Counsel Office submitted their resignation effective September 14, 2024. Currently, each attorney in the Conflict Counsel Office is managing a high caseload that exceeds nationally recognized maximum standards. It is crucial to maintain the existing 5.0 FTE licensed attorneys in the office for multiple reasons, particularly to ensure adequate court coverage, provide ethical legal representation for eligible county residents, and minimize the cost of hiring private legal counsel to represent indigent clients.
The local court operates on a strict schedule with numerous hearings across multiple courtrooms each day, necessitating the presence of 5.0 FTE attorneys to manage Conflict Counsel's court hearings effectively without causing delays in hearings, trials, and plea negotiations...
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