No Budget Cuts Possible Says Cook County Public Defender while Clerk of the Court Working to Reach 10% Cut Goal

Cook County Board of Commissioners Finance Committee - Departmental Budget Hearings
October 26, 2017 

Public Defender
Clerk of the Court

Commissioners absent for all or most of the meetings:  Butler, Fritchey, Goslin, Moore (arrived 2:10), and Schneider (Gainer also absent for Clerk of the Court)
Commissioners present:  Arroyo, Boykin, Daley, Deer, Gainer, Garcia, Moody, Morrison, Silvestri, Sims, Suffredin, Tobolski

Items of Interest in Meeting with Public Defender:

• Public Defender Amy Campanelli was passionate as she argued that nothing should be cut from that office’s budget.  Obligated to provide effective representation.  Her public defenders (“pds”) already carry a case load far higher than American Bar Association guidelines:  no more than 15 homicide cases vs. 19 carried by her pds; no more than 150 felony cases vs. 255 carried by her pds; and no more than 400 misdemeanor cases vs. 780 carried by her pds.
• 95% of Public Defender’s budget is personnel.  Would have to eliminate 60 currently vacant positions plus 50 layoffs to reach 10% reduction ($7.6 million).  But then County would have to hire outside attorneys at higher costs than those spent on pds.  Comm. Silvestri asked that she quantify the costs to the County if did reduce her pds.
• Comm. Boykin pressed on claim that couldn’t cut budget by even $1, zeroing in on some supervisory personnel and the vacancies.  Public Defender and Budget Director explained that Public Defender not allowed to hire for vacancies due to budget constraints in 2017, such as the turnover adjustment which lowers amount of the total salaries that had been budgeted.  Public Defender said that covering for vacant positions currently, but need them as cannot continue to do and provide effective representation.
• Comm. Morrison asked whether savings if close branch courts and/or some of suburban courthouses.  Public Defender said yes, but have to weigh the savings against burden on defendants and witnesses getting to court, especially where no public transportation available.  Maywood and Markham courthouses already very busy and may not be able to pick up more cases.
• Concurred with State’s Attorney that video conferencing for status calls, as suggested by Sheriff to save money, would not be allowed under Constitution.  But said would like ability for the public defenders to video conference with clients in jail so could save the time taken to physically go to jail.  Have equipment on her end.  Need Sheriff to agree and provide a private room with equipment for the clients in jail.  Comm. Gainer said she and Comm. Garcia would follow up with Sheriff.

Items of interest at Meeting with Clerk of the Court:

• As of January 1, 2018, all filings will need to be electronic. Clerk of the Court Dorothy Brown said that eventually this will enable further cuts to staff, but not now as older cases still have paper and all those have to be electronically imaged.
• Said would meet request to cut budget by 10%, but some of savings would be by furlough days, which would require union agreement.  Also, part of potential savings is collecting $13.1 million from Chicago, which, upon questioning from Commissioners, appears unlikely to be collected.
• Comm. Morrison stated that his intention is to have each Elected Official determine where the cuts will be made, but the Board will be determining the total amount of the cuts.  He suggested that the Clerk look to the ratio of managers to employees, which he calculates at 1/8.5 when best practices suggest 1/15-20.  The Clerk of the Court questioned his calculation.  
• Comm. Morrison also questioned why an Inspector General Office within the Clerk’s area when the County already has such an office.  The Clerk said that her office does more than handle complaints, such as working with State’s Attorney on chain of custody for evidence.  Clerk Brown also stated that she needs to have control over her people, and that also explains why she needs to have her own human resources group, rather than utilize the County’s.  Comm. Suffredin, Silvestri, and Tobolski also questioned need for these functions, plus purchasing and information technology, in the Clerk’s office vs. consolidating with the County’s.  Clerk Brown, unlike the State’s Attorney, Sheriff, and Public Defender, said that closing branch or suburban courts would not reduce costs in her area, but was not asked to explain why.
• Information that she will provide: ratio of supervisors to employees; number of employees by location; number of employees absent on average each day.

​Observer - Pris Mims