Response to Grand Jury Report Report Title: Scales of Justice Out of Balance? Humboldt County Public Defender's Office

R4

The Boord of Supervisors direct the Public Defender to remove the sign in the Public Defender's Conference Room that has political content be permanently removed by no later than October 1, 2025. {F6} This recommendation will not be implemented. This recommendation is unwarranted. As noted in the response to Finding 6, the Public Defender's Office conference room currently does not display any signage that could be considered "political" or in violation of county policy.

R5

has been implemented. Recommendations 15 and 16 will be implemented. Recommendations 1-4, 6-14 and 17-20 will not be implemented. Date: Oct. 21, 2025 Signed:{'s\r ' ....--�--/ Michelle Bushne , Humboldt County Board of Supervisors Number of pages attached: 12 COUNTY OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE 825 Fifth St. Room 112, Eureka, CA 95501 Telephone: 707-825-7266 Email: [email protected] INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE SUBJECT: SEMPERVIRENS PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH FACILITY: A KEY SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR HUMBOLDT COUNTY DATE: TUESDAY, OCT. 21, 2025 In the Grand Jury Report, "Scales of Justice Out of Balance? Humboldt County Public Defender's Office," the Grand Jury has requested that the Board of Supervisors respond to Findings 1 through 20 and Recommendations 1 through 20. The County Administrative Office is proposing the following response as detailed below.

R6

The Board of Supervisors approve and budget funds to reclassify the Public Defender and Conflict Counsel's Offices' Legal Secretaries to Administrative Analysts to be comparable to the District Attorney's Office where they ore classified as Analysts, effective no later thon July 1, 2026. (F8, F9, F17, F18,

R10

The Public Defender write and implement a training policy and materials for newly hired attorneys and investigators by January 1, 2026. (F11}} This recommendation will not be implemented. This recommendation is not reasonable at this time. The Public Defender's office is committed to implementing comprehensive training for attorneys and investigators, but current heavy caseloads prevent senior staff from focusing on professional development. With increased staffing, the office could establish formal onboarding programs including week-long orientations covering essential skills like trial techniques, client communication, ethical obligations and facility procedures. New attorneys would benefit from supervision and second-chair support during their first trials, while investigators would receive training in interviewing, report writing and testimony under the guidance of a chief investigator who can properly assign and supervise cases. However, the county's current budget does not allow for additional staff for this purpose. Given Humboldt's remote location far from urban training centers, it would be ideal to provide additional travel and accommodation to attend multi-day conferences and seminars that provide substantive training that is unavailable through virtual formats. Ongoing training requirements will be integrated into annual performance evaluations for both attorneys and investigators, and in the event that additional funding and staff are available, the Public Defender could provide comprehensive investigator training policy within one year.

R17

The Board of Supervisors approve a policy permitting Emotional Support dogs in the Public Defender and Conflict Counsel's Offices until the County makes proactive counseling to prevent burnout and other stress relief available. This is to be completed by October 31, 2025. (Fl 7) This recommendation will not be implemented. The Board of Supervisors approved Humboldt County's service animal policy in 2017. This policy states, "no pets or animals, other than service animals or service 1 1 animals in training, are allowed in county facilities." Through this policy, individuals with disabilities may bring their service animals into all areas in county facilities where the public or program participants are allowed. The policy also states that service animals must always be under the control of their handler. Humboldt County's ADA Coordinator has confirmed that the county would currently handle requests for an emotional support animal in the workplace the same way the county handles any other ADA accommodation request from an employee. However, it is important to note the ADA only requires the county to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with a qualified disability, if it does not cause undue hardship. The county is also required to engage in an interactive process with the employee making the request. Additionally, there are resources available to all county employees in need of extra support through the county's Employee Assistance Program. This program provides support to staff facing a variety of challenges including but not limited to work, family, or finances. This is a free and anonymous resource for all staff in need of extra support. That being said, the County Administrative Office's ADA Coordinator will partner with the Department of Human Resources to conduct research for the creation of a specific policy related to emotional support animals for employees in all county departments, in addition to making the necessary revisions to the service animal policy to ensure both policies are aligned.