PORT ANGELES — Clallam County is seeking volunteers to help determine the best way to provide public legal defense.
The three commissioners Monday directed staff to recruit applicants for a six- or seven-member ad hoc committee that will recommend by Aug. 31 a structure for the public defense delivery system.
“We would like a broad, comprehensive review by a committee of broad-based professionals across the industry to report back to the board,” Commissioner Mike Chapman said in a work session Monday.
Clallam County’s current contract with Clallam Public Defender is set to expire at the end of this year.
Commissioners approved a $1.14 million, one-year contract extension with the non-profit firm last December.
The new committee will consider at least four options for providing legal defense to indigent clients in 2017 and beyond.
Four options
The basic options are:
■ Keep the current system with one contractor providing public defense in superior, district and juvenile courts.
■ Bid separately with one contract for superior and juvenile courts and another contract for district court.
■ Establish a public defense ombudsman, a county employee who would develop and oversee a list of qualified public defenders.
■ Establish a new county department to bring public defense in-house.
Armed with a recommendation from the committee, the board of county commissioners will either go out to bid for a three-year public defense contract or overhaul the system.
“We have four [options] that I think over the years the board has kind of talked about,” Chapman said.
“I would say look, those are four, but they’re not the only four.”
Applications for the Public Defender Advisory Committee are available on the county website, www.clallam.net. Click on “Board, Committees and Groups” and “Application.”
The form also is available in the commissioners’ office (Room 150) at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.
Applications are due by the close of business next Wednesday.
County Administrator Jim Jones and Clallam Public Defender Director Harry Gasnick on Monday said they had reached out to potential committee members.
“Most of the really qualified people that we’ve spoken to are far from one-trick ponies,” Gasnick said.
“At least two of the attorneys that we discussed have served as public defenders and as prosecuting attorneys, and private attorneys.
“We’ll make sure that those people are particularly notified,” Gasnick added.
For scheduling considerations, Gasnick recommended a “tight” committee of perhaps four to six members.
“I would tend to agree that six — five or six — ought to be sufficient to provide the analysis that we’re looking for,” Commissioner Mark Ozias said.
Commissioner Bill Peach said he, too, was “inclined to keep the group small.”
“We’ll try to pick the best seven names,” Chapman said.
Clallam Public Defender will be not be involved in the committee’s selection.
For budgeting purposes, Jones said he would like commissioners to make a decision on public defense by October.
“To me, I would like to get started as soon as we can to get this thing done,” Jones said.
________
Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
