Blaine County commissioners are close to approving a $264,000 contract for public defender services for the upcoming fiscal year.
A proposal before the commissioners this week would increase public defender services for some Wood River Valley attorneys, and eliminate duties for two local attorneys who were included in the 2006 fiscal year contract.
The commissioners are expected to finalize the contract this week prior to the beginning of fiscal year 2007, which starts Oct. 1.
Included in the proposed 2007 contract are Ketchum attorney Dan Dolan, Hailey attorneys Douglas Werth and Cheri Hicks, and the Roark Law Firm of Hailey. Excluded from the proposed contract are Ketchum attorney Stephen Thompson and Hailey attorney Michael Kraynick.
Unlike many Idaho counties where a public defender's office is appointed to handle all indigent criminal and juvenile cases, Blaine County uses various local attorneys on a rotation schedule. The public defender on call for a given month is paid $22,000 and handles an average of 40 cases.
Extra money is paid, at the rate of $100 per hour, in the event the public defender is assigned to a first-degree murder case.
Under the proposed 2007 contract, Werth will be on call for public defender duties four months out of the year. Dolan and Hicks each have two months services. Three months go to the Roark Law Firm with duties to be split by Keith Roark, Kevin Cassidy and Doug Nelson. One month of service was still undetermined Tuesday afternoon.
Werth, Dolan, Hicks and Cassidy were also public defenders in the 2006 fiscal year.
County Commission Chairwoman Sarah Michael said the public defender system used in Blaine County seems to function well.
"The county is very lucky to have so many qualified attorneys who are willing to serve indigent people," she said.
Michael declined to discuss why Thompson and Kraynick were excluded from the proposed 2007 contract.
Thompson came under criticism from county officials this summer when he tried to withdraw from representing convicted murderer Sarah M. Johnson in her Post-Conviction Relief Petition.
