Governor Charles D. Baker's Budget Recommendation - House 1 Fiscal Year 2016

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0321-1500 - Committee for Public Counsel Services


Account Description FY 2015
Spending		 FY 2016
House 1
0321-1500 Committee for Public Counsel Services
For the operation of the committee for public counsel services, as authorized by chapter 211D of the General Laws; provided, that the committee shall develop and implement a system in which no less than 25 per cent of indigent defendants shall be represented by public defenders by the end of fiscal year 2016; provided further, that the committee shall provide a report to the executive office for administration and finance and the house and senate committees on ways and means, no later than September 1, 2015, detailing an implementation plan for meeting the requirements of the previous proviso, that shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (a) the expected surplus or deficiency for fiscal year 2016 of items 0321-1500 and 0321-1510, (b) the current and projected number of public defenders and private bar advocates assigned to each court house and (c) any perceived impediments to implementing this plan by the end of fiscal year 2016 and possible solutions to such impediments; provided further, that in hiring public defenders, priority shall be given to current private bar advocates; provided further, that the committee shall submit a report to the executive office for administration and finance, the clerks of the house of representatives and senate, the joint committee on the judiciary and the house and senate committees on ways and means no later than December 2, 2015, that shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) the number of cases for which the committee provided representation in the prior fiscal year, delineated by public defender and private bar advocate representation, and further delineated by type of case and geographic location, (2) the average cost for public defender services rendered per case, delineated by type of case and geographic location, (3) the average cost for private bar advocate services rendered per case, delineated by type of case and geographic location, (4) the average number of hours spent per case by public defenders, delineated by type of case and geographic location, (5) the average number of hours billed by private bar advocates, delineated by type of case and geographic location, (6) the total amount of counsel fees paid to the courts by clients for services rendered, delineated by type of case and geographic location and (7) any proposed expansion of legal services delineated by type of service, target population and cost; provided further, that the committee shall submit quarterly reports to the executive office for administration and finance and the house and senate committees on ways and means starting on October 12, 2015 and ending on July 11, 2016 that shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) the total number of cases that have been assigned to public defenders, delineated by type of case, (2) the number of cases that have been assigned to private bar advocates, delineated by type of case, (3) the total billable hours to date of private bar advocates, delineated by type of case, (4) the staffing efficiencies that have been achieved and (5) the cost effectiveness of private bar advocates; and provided further, that this data shall be provided in a cumulative manner, delineated by quarter
 26,519,719 26,519,719

 
 

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