Honoring Commitments to the Public -County Agency Actions in Response to 2018-2019 Grand Jury Recommendations

Santa Cruz County considered the Conflict Attorneys’ use of the County’s Watsonville office space, as committed in its response to the Grand Jury’s 2018–2019 report Santa Cruz County’s Public Defense Contracts—How Complex Contracts Misled County Leaders, but has deferred action to the next round of contract renewal. __ AGREE __ PARTIALLY DISAGREE x DISAGREE Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): The new Public Defender’s Office has fully taken over the Watsonville office space, and the conflict contract was renegotiated with the contracted law firm responsible for providing their own office space.

The County’s failure to address the Conflict Attorneys’ use of free office space means the value of this benefit may not be apparent to the Auditor and reported to appropriate tax officials, and there is no binding obligation on how the Conflict Attorneys may use this space. __ AGREE __ PARTIALLY DISAGREE x DISAGREE Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): The new Public Defender’s Office has fully taken over the Watsonville office space, and the conflict contract was renegotiated with the contracted law firm responsible for providing their own office space.