[Opds-contracts] NRE Work Group

[Kaysea R. Dahlstrom]

Public Defense Community -

The Office of Public Defense Services expends significant time and resources ensuring trial attorneys have access to needed case-related expenses.  Attorneys spend considerable time filling out non-routine expense requests (NREs) to obtain those services.  And non-attorney providers are often caught in the middle - their rates and hours are often negotiated between the agency and the attorney.

The NRE process both deserves and needs a re-examination.  The agency has no meaningful oversight of the non-attorney providers it funds.  Some non-attorney providers are compensated much closer to market rates than others.  Rates are inconsistent for similar providers.  Experts are used inefficiently.  And non-attorney providers who do primarily public defense work face a significant amount of red tape and paperwork to (1) get authorized and (2) get paid.

OPDS is putting together a formal working group to examine the agency's NRE system.  The group will be a mix of attorneys (both criminal and juvenile) and non-attorneys (investigators, interpreters, transcription, psychologists, IT, and forensics).  In terms of commitment, we are hoping for the initial meeting to occur in early August and meet every three weeks or so, for about 90 minutes each meeting.  The group will examine the needs of the needs of attorney and non-attorney providers and make recommendations to OPDS on how to improve and/or modify the NRE system.

Please let me know if you are interested in joining this work group! My email address is: eric.j.deitrick at opds.state.or.us<mailto:eric.j.deitrick at opds.state.or.us>. We will begin contacting those selected toward the end of July with more details and the group's official charge.

Thanks,
Eric

Eric J. Deitrick
General Counsel
Office of Public Defense Services
eric.j.deitrick at opds.state.or.us<mailto:eric.j.deitrick at opds.state.or.us>
503-378-2750
503-910-0434 (cell)


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