January 19, 1999

The Honorable Board of Supervisors
County of Los Angeles
383 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Dear Supervisors:

CONTRACTS FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENCY INDIGENT DEFENSE SERVICES FOR THE INGLEWOOD AND KENYON JUVENILE JUSTICE CENTER (SECOND DISTRICT AFFECTED) (3 VOTES)

IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOUR BOARD:

Approve and instruct the Chairman to sign the attached two contracts for juvenile delinquency indigent defense services in the courts listed below, each for a flat fee per case for a nine-month term, effective February 1, 1999 through October 31, 1999. Contractors will perform all legal services typically provided by the Office of the Public Defender for all defendants appointed to the contractors' members during the term of the agreements through the completion of each case, as follows:

-- The Inglewood Juvenile Defense Association for Inglewood Juvenile Court, at a fee of $250 per case.

-- Gary Farwell and Associates for Kenyon Juvenile Justice Center, at a fee of $265 per case.

PURPOSE OF RECOMMENDED ACTION

On April 21, 1998, your Board instructed this office to complete a Request for Proposals (RFP) process for juvenile delinquency indigent defense services at the Inglewood Juvenile Court and the Kenyon Juvenile Justice Center. The attached contracts are the result of these Board-ordered solicitations.

JUSTIFICATION

The County utilizes fixed fee per case contracts in the Compton, Eastlake, Long Beach, Los Padrinos, Pasadena, Pomona, and Sylmar-San Fernando Valley Juvenile Courts. The existing contracts provide indigent clients with competent legal services. The County benefits from a predictable, cost-effective means of providing juvenile delinquency indigent defense services. The two contracts provide annual savings of approximately $187,076 compared to estimated 1997-98 costs.

FISCAL IMPACT

The recommended juvenile indigent defense contracts provide annual net savings of approximately $187,076 over 1997-98 estimated costs as shown below:

Court and Indigent Defense Provider

Contract Amount (1)

Savings From 1997-98 (2)

Inglewood Juvenile Court: Inglewood Juvenile Defense Association

$337,500

$116,876

Kenyon Juvenile Justice Center: Gary Farwell and Associates

$139,122

$70,200

Total

$476,622

$187,076

(1) Contract amount based on the projected number of cases and the cost per case.
(2) Reflects savings based on nine month period, consistent with initial contract term.

FINANCING

Sufficient funding for these contracts is provided in the 1998-99 Trial Court Operations budget. Contractors will bill quarterly and may request an advance payment of up to 25 percent of the total anticipated annual contract amount for the first quarter following execution of each agreement.

FACTS AND PROVISIONS/LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

The initial contract period is for nine months to coincide with the contract terms of existing contracts for juvenile indigent defense services at various other courts, with provision for annual extension not to exceed one year per extension. All contractors will bear financial responsibility for attorney and investigator costs associated with court appointments ofattorneys or investigators other than the contractors, unless the court makes a written finding that a conflict of interest or other legal disability precludes any of the contractors' members from being appointed to represent such a defendant.

CONTRACTING PROCESS

The RFP was mailed to 60 geographic and identity-based bar associations in Los Angeles County, and a list of local attorneys that previously contacted our office requesting the RFP.

IMPACT ON CURRENT SERVICES (OR PROJECTS)

The proposed contracts will expedite the process of appointing attorneys to cases at each court location. The method of payment utilized will reduce the need for certain judicial review of claims and eliminate the need for the processing of most payments associated with these courts through the Superior Court's Professional Appointment Court Expenditure (PACE) system.

Respectfully submitted,

DAVID E. JANSSEN
Chief Administrative Officer

DEJ:LMJ
RMG:vyg

Attachments (2)

c: Executive Officer, Board of Supervisors

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