SAFFORD — During Monday’s regular meeting, the Graham County Board of Supervisors approved nine different contracts with attorneys for indigent defense services for both adults and juveniles in Graham County Superior Court.
Supervisor Paul David praised the attorneys for taking on public defender duties.
“This is not the most rewarding of vocations — you know you make more money in other areas of the law — but they have a feeling, a need for social justice and to represent these people well,” David said.
For adults, attorneys Dennis P. McCarthy, Josi Lopez, Rebecca Johnson, Daisy Flores, Raymond Geiser and Steven Robertson will each have a caseload of 140 cases. Each will receive $834 per case, $1,700 per dependency assignment and $600 per assignment as best interest attorney for children.
McCarthy will also receive a $5,000 stipend to serve as the legal advocate for Adult Veterans and Wellness Court, and Johnson will receive $5,000 to serve as legal advocate for Adult Treatment Court.
None of the contracts increase costs to the county from the previous year.
For juvenile defense, contracts were approved for Lopez, Johnson and Geiser at a rate of $278 per assignment. All contracts are the same as the previous fiscal year.
Lopez also receives a $5,000 stipend to serve as legal advocate for Juvenile Treatment Court.
