2SSB 6249 -
By Senator Padden
WITHDRAWN 03/05/2014
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that it previously
passed RCW 10.101.030 in which it required local governments to adopt
caseload standards and indicated that "The standards endorsed by the
Washington state bar association for the provision of public defense
services should serve as guidelines to local legislative authorities in
adopting standards." Despite this clear expression of legislative
intent on the matter, the state supreme court subsequently ordered new
standards and caseload limits for public defenders. The legislature
finds that these standards will have a very detrimental fiscal impact
on the criminal justice and court operations of cities and counties
that already are struggling to address these costs. The order thus far
has proved so unworkable, that the court has already postponed its
impact until January 2015. The legislature finds that the caseload
level to be borne by public defenders and associated expenses are
matters of substantive law with the constitutional province of the
legislature.
The legislature, therefore, respectfully requests that the court
vacate its order in In The Matter Of The Standards For Indigent Defense
And Certification Of Compliance, Order No. 25700-A-1008 and subsequent
related orders regarding indigent defense and public defender caseload
limits."
2SSB 6249 -
By Senator Padden
WITHDRAWN 03/05/2014
On page 1, line 3 of the title, after "standards;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "and creating a new section."
EFFECT: Strikes current language in bill and replaces with a new intent section.