COUNTY ADMINISTRATION OFFICE - R. ESPINOSA

Approve Amendment No. 5 to contract with Gregory M. LaForge, extending the public defender contract for an additional year, from October 31, 2019 to October 31, 2020, in the amount of $405,000 annually.

SBC FILE NUMBER: 149

The public defender contract with Gregory LaForge was originally entered into October 26, 2010.  It was amended in 2013, 2014, 2017 and currently has an expiration date of October 31, 2019. 

The total budget for services of the public defender and two alternates is approximately $807,388 for FY 2019-2020.  Of this amount, the base contract to the three primary public defenders is approximately $650,085.  The remainder of costs are primarily for the additional levels of conflict public defender attorneys; and additionally, for costs of any homicide cases, investigators, and other indirect charges.  The County currently has a cost effective model as compared to the likely expenses of having the public defenders as a County department.

The proposed amendment extends the contract by an additional year, and provides for a small increase in base attorney compensation to $405,000 annually, effective November 1, 2019.  Additionally, for homicide cases, the agreement allows special compensation for public defender services in the amount not to exceed $25,000, and allows the CAO's office to set the compensation for the investigators in the amount not to exceed $9,000 annually, except as otherwise ordered by the Courts.

Approve Amendment No. 5 to contract with Gregory M. LaForge, extending the public defender contract for an additional year, from October 31, 2019 to October 31, 2020, in the amount of $405,000 annually, and authorize the Chair to sign it.