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Wayne County's Indigent Defense Services Department is developing a staff of dedicated professionals who are committed to excellence in criminal defense representation at the trial court level, and equal access to justice. IDSD is state-funded through annual grants from the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC). IDSD will manage the transition and then assume responsibility for the entire indigent defense system in Wayne County's Third Circuit Court, Michigan's largest trial court handling more than 16,000 assignments of counsel in felony cases that originate in the county's numerous district courts.

In 2020, approximately 75% of the assignments were handled by about 200 private assigned counsel who were qualified by the Court to handle cases in four Tiers, or categories, of cases. The remaining 25% of assignments went to the Neighborhood Defender Service Detroit (NDSD), Wayne County's new public defender office.

Reporting to the IDSD Assigned Counsel Administrator, the Program Administrator of the Investigator and Expert Program will manage access to MIDC funding for investigators and experts by assigned criminal defense counsel handling felony cases in the Third Judicial Circuit. Nearly 16,000 assigned cases are eligible for the services following appointment of counsel, who encouraged to start immediately following district court arraignments on the warrant. As with its predecessor Pilot Project, the Program places approval of investigator and expert service in the hands of Program Administrator, themselves experienced criminal defense attorneys. The Program Administrator consult with assigned counsel on needs of individual cases, provide resources enabling counsel's selection of particular investigators and experts, and approve use and payment according to a schedule of fees. Investigators are available for all cases handled by private assigned counsel (the Neighborhood Defender Services employs staff investigators), and experts are available for all assigned cases. Requests for services and any discussion taking place between counsel and the Program Administrator is privileged and protected from disclosure except in anonymous summary form.

Educational/Experience Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience as a criminal defense attorney.
  • Preferred:
    • Prior work in a role supporting assigned criminal defense counsel.

• Required Tasks
  • Consulting directly with assigned counsel on needs for investigation or expert services in individual cases, through in-person contact, email, and phone.
  • Communicating directly with investigators and experts, as needed, on continuing needs and completion of services throughout the case, and payment after services have been rendered.
  • Preparing reports and recommendations on use of Program services.
  • Training assigned counsel on the use of investigators and experts, and collaborating with others to provide training.
  • Voting member of attorney assignment committee which includes monitoring attorney compliance with MIDC Standard 3 and IDSD policies.
• Additional Tasks
  • Developing and managing collections of investigators and experts who are willing and eligible to provide services in assigned criminal cases.
  • Working with other IDSD staff, developing and maintaining a case management system to handle a large number of requests and payments.
  • Working with other IDSD staff, developing a process for verifying the accuracy of requests for payment, as well as compliance with rate schedules.
  • Managing an online process for approving requests, paying vendors, and evaluating the impact of services.
  • Communicating directly with assigned counsel on continuing needs for services, and satisfaction with services, throughout the case.
  • Compiling data on use of Program services.
  • Working with IDSD staff to develop benchmarks and anticipated budgets for future Program funding requests.
  • At the direction of the Assigned Counsel Administrator, monitoring the performance of assigned counsel.