Creation of Public Defender Offices
Item 39 #1h
Item 39 #1h | First Year - FY2005 | Second Year - FY2006 | |
| Judicial Department |
| Public Defender Commission | FY2005 $6,425,708 | FY2006 $5,931,546 | GF |
| FY2005 90.00 | FY2006 90.00 | FTE |
Language
Page 25, line 33, strike "$23,678,918" and insert "$30,104,626".
Page 25, line 33, strike "$23,693,663" and insert "$29,625,209".
Page 25, after line 38, insert:
"Out of the amounts provided for criminal indigent defense, $6,425,708 the first year and $5,931,546 the second year from the general fund is provided to establish public defender offices in Arlington County and the cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, and Newport News. The Public Defender Commission shall give priority in establishing these public defender offices first to the City of Newport News and then to the cities of Chesapeake and Hampton."
Explanation
(This amendment provides additional general fund dollars to the Public Defender Commission to establish four new public defender offices in Arlington County (including Falls Church) and the cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, and Newport News. In addition, the amendment prioritizes the establishment of the public defender offices in Newport News, Chesapeake, and Hampton. The creation of public defender offices in these three cities provides the greatest potential for producing general fund savings from the Criminal Fund, which supports court-appointed attorneys' fees for the representation of indigent criminal defendants, jury per diems, the costs of court reporters, and the costs of interpreters. A companion amendment, Item 32#1h, reduces expenditures from the Criminal Fund to account for the creation of these four offices and the savings that will result from the more efficient representation of indigent criminal defendants by public defenders.)