37-18-085 - Wayne County RFP for a Public Defender Office

The County of Wayne is requesting proposals for operation of a Public Defender Office (PDO) by a qualified non-profit organization to provide indigent criminal defense services in approximately 25% of the adult felony cases arising in Michigan’s Third Judicial Circuit. One non-profit corporation will be selected through the County’s “RFP” process to create a PDO which is devoted entirely to providing the best possible representation to clients. The intent of Wayne County is to fund a model program that incorporates nationally-recognized best practices for criminal defense, while operating in a cost-effective manner. The PDO will be funded by the County and annual state grant awards from the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission. Approximately 5,000 cases will be assigned to the Public Defender Office each year, including capital and non-capital cases, interlocutory appeals, and felony non-support and welfare fraud cases. An operational budget of approximately $8,000,000 will support approximately 75 employees, with competitive salaries and benefits.