PUBLIC DEFENDER - ASSIGNED COUNSEL - Genesee County

PUBLIC DEFENDER - ASSIGNED COUNSELUORGANIZATIONAL CHARTGENESEE COUNTYLEGAL ASSISTANCE CORPORATIONFAMILY COURTCRIMINAL COURT____________________________________________________UDEPARTMENT DESCRIPTIONThe Assigned Counsel Program provides legal representation for indigent persons who cannot berepresented through the County’s Public Defender’s Office due to a conflict of interest situation. Incriminal and family court matters, referrals to the Assigned Counsel Program are made by the PublicDefender’s Office of eligible individuals (those whose income falls at or below a predeterminedguideline). Such representation is required as per Article 18B of the County Law of the State ofNew York and Subsection 407 of the Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act of the State of New York.The Assigned Counsel program is administered by the Genesee County Legal AssistanceCorporation through a contractual arrangement with the County and is operated independently of theCounty’s Public Defender’s Office.

U ByU 2009150,000U90,650UU 2009147,661UU 2010150,000U71,686UU 2010167,453U85,731UU 2011165,00077,156USTRATEGIC FRAMEWORKUMISSIONUTo provide legal representation to and protect the rights of clients in those cases referred to themfrom the County’s Public Defender’s Office.UBUDGET SUMMARYAppropriation Adopted Actual Adopted Estimated RequestedObject U U U U U _UFamily Court 260,000 291,277 260,000 237,522 270,000Public Defender U U U UTotal Appropriation 410,000 438,938 410,000 404,975 435,000Revenue U U109,702U U U UNet County Support 319,350 329,236 338,314 319,244 357,844UBUDGET HIGHLIGHTS1. The Administrator of the Genesee County Legal Assistance Corporation will receive a $700increase in Administrative fee for increases being experienced for postage and copying.2. New York State began providing as of January 2005 reimbursement to offset a portion oftheir mandated increase in assigned counsel hourly rates. Continued reimbursement hasbeen based on our county’s % share of the State’s Indigent Legal Services funds availablestatewide for distribution and our compliance with the maintenance of effort provisions ofthe law.a. $233,360 actual 2009 ISLF state aid: The Public Defender’s Office included$123,658 of the ISLF state aid in their operating budget in addition to the $90,650contained in the Assigned Counsel.b. $222,800 actual 2010 ISLF state aid: The Public Defender’s Office included$137,069 of the ISLF state aid in their operating budget in addition to the $85,731contained in Assigned Counsel.c. $200,500 estimated 2011 ISLF state aid: The new Office of Indigent Legal ServicesAct reduces the aid by 10%.3. Family Court expense has shown an annual increase every year since 2005; Criminal Courtsince 2007.