Assigned counsel program costs near $1 million
Summary
The county pays assigned attorneys $158 an hour and some were bundling road time into court bills. After cutting mileage, four lawyers quit the panel. A compromise would pay $75 an hour for clearly-labeled travel time, with audits and panel removal for cheaters — to be discussed again next month.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 1
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Jan 20, 2026.
Impact analysis
Program costs run just under $1 million a year; the change aims to control that while keeping enough lawyers on the panel.
Taxpayers, if the billing loophole closes without losing the attorney pool that keeps courts running.
Assigned attorneys who lose the ability to bill travel as court time; defendants if the attorney pool shrinks further.
Mentions & discussions (1)
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