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Analysis of IndigentDefense andProsecution Budgetsfor California Counties<strong>Lorenda</strong> <strong>Stern</strong>California Western School of Law
Protecting LibertyPlumas CountyFair$692,117vs.Plumas CountyIndigent Defense$420,300
Indigent Defenseand ProsecutionBudgets comparedA grim picture of inequality
County Budget D<strong>at</strong>aBudgetD<strong>at</strong>aObtained88%
Prosecution and Defense Budgets• Indigent Defense total: $726,773,196• Prosecution total: $1,218, 481,004• Includes the entire indigent defense system
Average Budgets• Indigent Defense: $14,250,455• Prosecution: $23,891,784• Prosecution budgets 40% larger
Adjusted Prosecution Budgets• Prosecution Budgets adjusted downward toaccount for indigency r<strong>at</strong>eIndigencyR<strong>at</strong>e88%
Underst<strong>at</strong>es the disparity• Does not account for:• Extra grants to prosecution office• Misdemeanors handled by City Attorney in largercities• Multiple defendants• PD functions outside of criminal justice, i.econserv<strong>at</strong>orships, involuntary commitments
Disparity even when adjustedYolo County Total Budget # of<strong>at</strong>torneysResourcesper <strong>at</strong>torney<strong>Public</strong>Defender$5,847,368 24 $243,640DistrictAttorney(weighted)$10,070,904 33 $305,179
Per Capita Budgets• Defense• $5.85 – Sutter County• $44.32 – Alpine County• Prosecution• $7.61 – Kings County• $175.23 - Alpine
Average Per Capita Disparities byPopul<strong>at</strong>ion Class$70.00$60.00$50.00$40.00$30.00$20.00$10.00$0.0010 million +2 million + to10 million1 million + to2 million500,000 to1 million250,000 to500,000100,000 to250,00050,000 to100,00015,000 to50,0000 to 15,000
Disparities in Comparable CountiesCounty Popul<strong>at</strong>ion TotalCaseloadFelonyCaseloadDefenseBudgetWeightedProsecutionBudgetPer CapitaDisparityEl Dorado 133,000 4,342 1,248 $2,750,135 $6,124,876 $19.57Humboldt 176,000 3,701 1,415 $2,898,913 $3,653,252 $5.70
St<strong>at</strong>ewide DisparityAveragePerCapitaDefenseBudgetAveragePer CapitaProsecutionbudget(actual)AveragePer CapitaProsecutionBudget(weighted)AverageDisparityBetweenProsecution andDefense BudgetsCaliforniaSt<strong>at</strong>ewide Average $19.62 $41.19 $36.25 $16.63
ABA’s Ten Principles of a <strong>Public</strong>Defense Delivery System• Non-compliance with Principle Eight• Parity between resources• “There should be parity of workload, salaries, and otherresources (such as benefits, technology, facilities, legalresearch, support staff paralegals, investig<strong>at</strong>ors, andaccess to forensic services and experts between theprosecution and public defense.”
A Fair fight?• Adversarial Justice System shoulddemand a fair fight• Gross inequalities do not meet theoblig<strong>at</strong>ion of the right to effective counsel
Results of Disparity• Innocence Projects show results of thisdisparity
Future <strong>Public</strong> Defender• Disparities raise concerns• Will I be ineffective?
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