RCRC, in coalition with our county partners, strongly opposes Assembly Bill 690, authored by Assemblymember Nick Schultz (D-Burbank). This measure would create additional mandates for the provision of indigent defense services, resulting in increased cost pressures to counties statewide estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars.
The government is required to provide access to attorneys and pay for the cost of representation for criminal defendants who cannot afford counsel. In California, the state has delegated to counties the responsibility of both funding and administering indigent defense services at the trial court level. Counties have the authority and flexibility to design systems that best suits local needs. However, California is only one of five states that does not provide full or partial funding to counties for the delivery of the constitutionally promised service.
AB 690 imposes new requirements that will remove the flexibility that counties are given to design systems that best reflect local needs by prohibiting flat rate contracts, creating new standards and reporting obligations. Counties share the bill’s intent to ensure there are manageable caseloads for defense attorneys and high-quality representation for all clients statewide, but the bill provides no new funding to support the costly mandates that the bill imposes and limits local control.
AB 690 passed the Assembly and is awaiting a hearing in the Senate Public Safety Committee. RCRC will continue to work alongside our county partners to oppose this costly legislation. See RCRC’s latest opposition letter here.
RCRC encourages counties to send opposition letters to the Senate Public Safety Committee. A template is available here.
Counties are highly encouraged to submit the letter through the legislative portal (see here). For assistance or additional information, please contact Policy Advocate, Sarah Dukett.