LOS ANGELES COUNTY : Alternate Public Defender Agency Gets Leader
The Board of Supervisors has chosen Bruce Hoffman, chief deputy of the county public defender’s office in Long Beach, to head a new agency that will represent indigent criminal defendants.
In August, the board approved the formation of a second public defender’s office to handle criminal cases in which the primary public defender declares a conflict of interest--usually because there is more than one defendant needing an appointed lawyer.
The county’s new alternate public defender will have an annual budget of $3.5 million and initially will operate in the Los Angeles Municipal Court and the Superior Court’s central district.
Hoffman is scheduled to assume duties Dec. 1, at an annual salary of $122,000.
The board named Hoffman despite a last ditch appeal by private attorneys who currently contract with the county to handle conflict-of-interest cases.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.