The Fight Against Crime: Notes From The Front : Department Saves Money for County

A few years ago, when two men were arrested for robbing a store, and neither had enough money to hire an attorney, the taxpayers got stuck with an extra-heavy bill.

Because one suspect’s defense might involve throwing more blame on the other, or their interests might otherwise clash, the Los Angeles County public defender couldn’t represent both. That would have been a conflict of interest.

So the county had to pay for a private attorney for one of the suspects--$600 more than a public defender would have cost.

And that’s why there are now two public defender’s offices.

Now instead of hiring an outside lawyer, at about $1,670 for a typical felony case, the county can call in the 2-year-old alternate public defender’s office, for $750.

“The first year the county supervisors gave us a $4.2 million budget and we returned $1 million to them because we didn’t need it,” said Chief Alternate Public Defender Bruce Hoffman.

“We came into existence because of a cost crunch [in the county budget] and have proved how cost efficient we are.”

Los Angeles County, where 90% of accused criminals are represented by the public defender’s office, is the fourth county in California to open such a cost-cutting department, and one of about two dozen nationwide.

“Each person accused of a crime is entitled to have a lawyer looking out for their interest and not some other client’s interest,” said Jordan Yerian, deputy alternate public defender in the Van Nuys office. “Now the county doesn’t have to pay the inflated prices of a private bar to get the work done.”

The county department, which employs 106 lawyers, replaced the now-defunct Alternate Defense Counsel, a private firm that contracted with the county to represent poor clients.

The county also depended on private lawyers, to the tune of $36 million the year before the alternate public defender’s office was established in 1992.

How does the new office cut the costs?

Alternate public defenders say it’s by hiring experienced lawyers, with at least four years under their belts, to handle large and difficult caseloads, usually including cases that involve as many as six defendants and are serious felonies.

They have eliminated bureau and division chiefs, and all head deputies appear in court as defense attorneys besides handling administrative duties. “If you involve them in the workload, they become much more effective,” Hoffman said. “And they more than pay for themselves.”

Its success at saving money makes it one of the few county departments that will not only escape deep budget cuts in the upcoming fiscal year, but will also expand, the attorneys say.

The program began Downtown. Offices opened last year in Pasadena, Long Beach, Norwalk and the Westside. In January, a Lancaster office opened and in May, offices sprang up in San Fernando and Van Nuys.

The office is representing Guy Dean Bouck, the Canyon Country man who was charged with the 1987 killing of his wife and a sexual assault on an ex-girlfriend who once provided his alibi in the slaying.

A public defender represented Bouck in the 1990 rape case; when that attorney was named as a witness on new rape charges against him, the public defender’s office declared a conflict of interest.

“The reason for a conflict is usually confidential, but sometimes it is obvious,” said Hoffman. “If there is a prior relationship or one of the attorneys was a witness to a crime, there is a possible conflict.”