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MOST GRACIOUS HEAVENLY FATHER, LOOK DOWN ON US WITH FAVOR TODAY AND WARM THE COLD PLACES IN OUR HEARTS AND LIGHTEN THE DARK PLACES IN OUR SOULS.
GIVE US THE WISDOM AND GUIDANCE TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS AS WE GO ABOUT THIS, UH, MEETING TODAY.
UH, ALL THIS WE ASK IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN.
PLEDGE EVERYBODY TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT SPANS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL SOCIETY.
I ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE INDIVIDUAL.
OKAY, WE HAVE, UH, FIRST ONE AND ONLY ITEM ON THE AGENDA THIS MORNING.
DISCUSSED CONSIDER MAKING AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE POSITION OF PUBLIC DEFENDER FOR KAUFMAN COUNTY.
UH, JUDGE
DO YOU WANNA DISCUSS THAT? ALL RIGHT.
THE, UH, PUBLIC DEFENDER'S BOARD CONSISTS OF JUDGE GENT, COMMISSIONER ER, MYSELF, JUDGE NORVILLE, DENNIS JONES, WHO, UH, WAS ELECTED BY THE KAMAN COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION TO PARTICIPATE.
UH, JUDGE CHITTY AND JUDGE ELECT LEWIS WERE INVITED TO, UH, BE PRESENT AND PARTICIPATE.
ALSO, WE HAD, UH, SEVEN APPLICANTS FOR THE POSITION, SEVERAL OF THEM WELL QUALIFIED.
WE SPENT SEVERAL HOURS TALKING WITH EACH, EACH ONE OF THEM.
AND THE, UH, THE OVERWHELMING RECOMMENDATION TO THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, FOR THE POSITION IS, UH, ANDREW JORDAN.
WE'VE HAD TWO INDIVIDUALS SIGN UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM THIS MORNING.
THIS, THE FIRST ONE IS DAVID MCMANUS.
UH, UH, DAVID REMINDS YOU THAT, UH, YOU RESTRICTED TO THREE MINUTES, BUT GO AHEAD.
FIRST, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR ALLOWING THIS TIME TO SPEAK TODAY.
I FEEL THE APPOINTMENT OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT APPOINTMENT THAT COMMISSIONER FORD'S GONNA MAKE THIS YEAR.
AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, I'M NOT SO SURE PROPER DUE DILIGENCE HAS BEEN TAKEN IN MAKING THIS APPOINTMENT.
IT SEEMS THAT THE WHOLE PROCESS HAS A LITTLE MIS CONTAMINATED BECAUSE TWO OF THE PEOPLE ON THE SCREENING COMMITTEE ARE ALSO MAKING UP PERCENT OF THE VOTING FOR THAT CANDIDATE.
I THINK, UH, IT NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE MORE IMPARTIAL THAN WHAT IT IS TO WHERE THE SCREENING COMMITTEE PROVIDES THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT WITH THE APPLICANTS THAN THEY MAKE THE DECISION INSTEAD OF JUST BEING HANDED A CANDIDATE TO VOTE ON, IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, WE'VE BEEN AWFUL QUICK TO RAISE TAXES, BORROW MONEY, BUT YET I'M SOMETHING THAT COULD POSSIBLY SAVE THE COUNTY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
YOU KNOW, I SPOKE WITH MR. ROWDEN AND HIS INPUT WAS, HE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF INPUT INTO THIS DECISION.
I THINK, UH, WE JUST DIDN'T DO A VERY GOOD JOB.
I THINK WE NEED TO ASK MR. ER AND MR. JEN TO RECUSE THEMSELVES FROM VOTING ON THIS CANDIDATE AND FOR MR. SHANE LEONARD AND ROBIN TO BE MORE ACTIVE IN THIS PROCESS.
AGAIN, I THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR TIME.
UH, THE NEXT PERSON WE HAVE IS MR. JOE PARNELL.
THAT'S ALL THE ORDER TO DO, BUT I'M SURE I CAN, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO, I WANT TO THANK THE JUDGE TAGER FOR LOCATING THE GRANT.
SO WHETHER IT BE A, A STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
IT WASN'T JUDGE TT WHO, WHOEVER, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S, UH, I, I AGREE THAT THE, UH, APPOINTMENT OF PUBLIC DEFENDER IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS GONNA BE MADE THIS TIME.
AND IT, AND IT'S BECAUSE NOT TENS OF THOUSANDS, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WATCHED THE INDIGENT DEFENSE GO FROM 200,000 TO 1,000,200 THOUSAND IN A COUPLE OF YEARS, AND I STRESS THE WORD WATCHED.
WE KNOW WE SHOULD HAVE ALL, EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING MORE AT EACH STEP TO STOP THIS HEMORRHAGING FROM TAKING PLACE.
AND MY, MY, MY CONCERN AS A TAXPAYER, I'M NOT HEARING IN ANY OTHER CAPACITY OTHER THAN AS A TAXPAYER.
MY, MY CONCERN IS THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY NOW TO ADDRESS
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THE ONE THING THAT HAS BEEN POINTED AT OVER AND OVER AGAIN AS TO WHY WE HAVE TO BORROW MONEY WHILE WE HAVE TO RAISE TAXES, ET CETERA.AND IT'S A VERY LEGITIMATE TARGET BECAUSE IT IS INEXCUSABLE THAT IT HAS GONE ON THIS LONG.
MY, MY CONCERNS ARE IN LOOKING THROUGH THE, THE ONLY INFORMATION THAT I COULD FIND AND, AND I HAD ASKED SEVERAL PEOPLE QUESTIONS AND IT GOT A SIMILAR ANSWER.
WELL, WE DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THIS.
WE HADN'T, WE DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THIS, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS TO BE A PUBLIC DEFENDER IS THAT, UH, THERE'S A, THAT YOU'RE STILL ALLOWED TO PRIVATE, UH, TO PRACTICE LAW.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT A CLARIFICATION BEFORE YOU VOTE ON THIS, THE ONLY RESTRICTION I SEE IS YOU'RE RESTRICTED FROM ENGAGING IN THE PRIVATE PRACTICE OF CRIMINAL LAW.
AND WHEN YOU PUT BLACK AND WHITE CRIMINAL LAW BY, BY DEFACTO, THAT MEANS THAT THE PERSON, WHOEVER YOU CHOOSE, CAN BE A PART-TIME EMPLOYEE AND CAN STILL DO PROBATE, CAN STILL DO CONTRACT, CAN STILL DO FAMILY LAW, CAN STILL PRACTICE THE WHOLE GAMUT.
I'M LOOKING AT WHAT THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS ARE AND ANTICIPATE THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE WILL CARRY A CASELOAD OF 600 AT BELOW 900 IF 600 IS A THRESHOLD FOR SAYING THIS IS A SUCCESS.
MY QUESTION IS, YOU'VE GOT TWO ATTORNEYS THAT'S 300 CASES EACH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF, AND ALL THE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE HERE THAT ARE GONNA BE HAVING AN INPUT.
YOU'RE SAYING LESS THAN ONE PLEA PER DAY IS SATISFACTORY.
THE REST OF THE TIME YOU CAN GO OUT.
AT LEAST THERE'S NO RESTRICTIONS.
I HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT WHOEVER'S CHOSEN IS GONNA HAVE MORE OF A BACKBONE IS NOT GOING TO DO THIS.
WELL, WHAT HAPPENS IF THIS PERSON QUITS OR THIS PERSON RESIGNS OR WHATEVER? THERE'S NO SAFEGUARD IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT THE TALL KAUFMAN COUNTY TAXPAYERS ARE GONNA GET THEIR MONEY.
IT OUGHT TO SAY STARTING THE DAY, DAY AFTER TOMORROW, WHENEVER IT IS, YOU'LL BE A FULL-TIME PUBLIC DEFENDER AND NOT ENGAGE IN A PRIVATE PRACTICE OF LAW OF ANY TYPE, JUST AS IT IS FOR THE JUDGES, JUST AS IT IS FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS.
WHAT DISTRICT ATTORNEYS WOULD LOVE IT IF THEY COULD PRACTICE LAW TO SAY THE JUDGES OR ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY IF THEY CAN THIS PROBLEM.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS ASK YOU, WHAT ABOUT THE SALARY? AND THE SALARY SHOULD NOT BE THE CONTROLLING THING.
ITS 65,000 IS NOT ENOUGH AND YOU SHOULDN'T BE ASKING FOR THIS JOB.
BUT THE COMMISSIONERS AND, AND JUDGE GENT, YOU NEED TO CLARIFY THAT THIS IS A FULL-TIME JOB TO BE DOING NOTHING BUT PUBLIC DEFENDER WORK AND NOT OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT.
AND THAT IT STARTS IMMEDIATELY THE DAY YOU START DOING THIS, THAT YOU CLOSE YOUR OFFICE TO ANYTHING ELSE.
AND THAT'S, UH, ONE OF MY CONCERNS.
UH, AGAIN, BORING MONEY BOTHERS ME.
WHEN YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS PART OF THE PROBLEM AND IT'S NOT BEING ADEQUATELY LOOKED AT, THAT OUGHT TO BOTHER YOU.
AND I'VE GOT NOTHING TO GAIN OR LOSE AT THIS POINT OTHER THAN LIKE EVERY OTHER TAXPAYER HAVING TO SEE THEIR TAXES RAISED IN BORING MONEY.
PLEASE GET A POSITIVE SOLUTION TO THIS.
IT'S GOING TO RESULT IN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, NOT TENS OF THOUSANDS, BUT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SAVINGS FOR OUR COUNTY.
YOU WANNA ADDRESS ANY OF THAT, JUDGE, OR, WELL, THE UNDERSTANDING WITH, UH, ALL THE APPLICANTS WAS THIS WOULD BE A FULL-TIME JOB.
AND, AND, UH, THAT'S THE WAY MR. JORDAN UNDERSTANDS THAT WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT, UH, UH, HE WILL BE ALLOWED TO WIND DOWN HIS PRACTICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND IF I COULD ADD, JUDGE, WE HAD ACTUALLY SAID TO MAKE IT REAL CLEAR THAT THEY WOULD, UH, I GUESS BE ON PAYROLL DECEMBER 1ST AND GET PEOPLE IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER SINCE WE DIDN'T KNOW WHO WAS GONNA TAKE THE JOB IN IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER TO GET THAT PRACTICE WOUND DOWN.
EVERYBODY ASSURED AS THEY'D BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN 30 DAYS, AND IN FACT BEGAN WORKING FOR THE COUNTY, WOULD THAT ACTUALLY BEEN ON THE PAYROLL TILL DECEMBER? AND WE ALSO FELT GOOD ABOUT THAT BECAUSE, UH, JUDGE TYRA HAD CHECKED WITH THE GRANT FOLKS, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE, WE GET ALL THE MONEY FOR THE YEAR.
IT'S, WE DON'T, I MEAN, WE DON'T LOSE ANY MONEY BY ACTUALLY STARTING HIM BEING PAID IN DECEMBER.
THAT WAS WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO US.
AND THAT WOULD BE A LEGITIMATE QUESTION.
BUT THEY UNDERSTAND OR HE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A FULL-TIME JOB.
THERE'S NO CONFUSION ABOUT THAT.
WELL, NOT AMONG THE APPLICANTS IN THE BOARD.
IT MAY BE OUT IN THE PUBLIC, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE IS CLEAR ABOUT IT.
AND IN FACT, NOT SAYING WHO THAT PERSON WAS.
THERE WAS ONE PERSON THAT REALLY HAD WANTED TO DO THAT AND SAID, WE JUST SAID NO.
I MEAN, WE DIDN'T SAY NO, YOU COULD DO APPEALS.
IF YOU WANNA WORK PART-TIME, THIS IS NOT YOUR JOB.
AND, AND, UH, JOE PARNELL, I AGREE ON SOMETHING THAT IF THE MONEY'S THE ISSUE, THEN YOU DON'T NEED A JOB.
WHAT DO WE AGREE ON? SOMETHING WONDERFUL.
UH, I THINK WE HAD, UH, FINALLY DISCUSSED THOUGH THAT THE INDIVIDUAL GOING TO PAYROLL ON NOVEMBER 1ST.
WHICH WOULD LET HIM GET STARTED ON OKAY.
INTERVIEWING AND, UH, SETTING UP HIS OFFICE TO BE READY TO ROLL ON DECEMBER 1ST.
HE'LL HAVE TO GET AN INVESTIGATOR.
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ANOTHER PROSECUTOR.AND A, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT.
SO HE IS GOT, HE'S GOT HIS WORK CUT OUT.
WELL, OF COURSE I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY, BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, I DID WATCH THE PAPER CHASE
AND AS I REMEMBER JOHN HAMAN'S CHARACTER TAUGHT CONTRACTS.
AND WHAT I KNOW ABOUT LAW IS IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT EVERYBODY AGREED TO.
WHAT MATTERS IS WHAT'S IN THE CONTRACT AND IF, IF, UH, IS THAT CORRECT OR NOT? THAT'S BASICALLY IT.
AND THEN IF, IF, UH, AS, UH, JOE CORNELL POINTED OUT THE CONTRACT SAYS YOU, YOU'RE ONLY PROHIBITED FROM PRACTICING CRIMINAL LAW.
WE DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT YET WITH ANYBODY.
THE CONTRACT WILL SAY THAT IT FULL.
THAT'S WHERE I WAS, THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING.
REMEMBER, WE CAN'T OFFER ANYBODY ANYTHING UNTIL WE GET Y'ALL'S VOTES.
SO, I MEAN, WE, WE CAN'T MAKE THE NEXT STEP.
WE DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DROP THAT CONTRACT, LIKE WE WANT TO DO IT, OR DO WE HAVE TO USE A CONTRACT THAT COMES FROM UH, WELL, YOU GOTTA USE FROM THE GRANT PEOPLE, YOU GOTTA USE IT THE WAY THE GRANT PEOPLE WANT IT.
THEY WANTED IT FULLTIME EMPLOYEE.
WELL, THEY DEFINITELY, THEY WANTED A FULLTIME EMPLOYEE.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN CONTEMPLATED TO BE A FULLTIME EMPLOYEE.
NEVER WAS CONTEMPLATED TO BE ANY OTHER WAY.
THE ONLY OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SEE IS THAT, UH, OR LIKE TO SAY IS THAT THIS JUDGE S**T, AND I TALKED ABOUT MONTHS AGO, UH, I HOPE WITH ALL MY HEART THAT WITHIN FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS WE'RE HIRING TWO MORE OF THESE OR EXPANDING THIS PROGRAM.
I HOPE THAT IT'S SO SUCCESSFUL THAT WE HAVE TO EXPAND IT, UH, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
THAT'S WHY WE GOT THAT EXTRA MONEY IN THE BUDGET.
WELL, AND, AND I, I THINK THAT THIS IS LONG OVERDUE.
I THINK WE NEED TO PILE AS MUCH WORKLOAD AS WE CAN IN, 'CAUSE EVERY CASE THAT THEY TAKE IN PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE IS, IS GONNA SAVE US MONEY, IN MY OPINION.
BUT I HAD ASSUMED THAT, OF COURSE THE COMMITTEE WAS FORMED.
AND I'M NOT SURE, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW THE COMMITTEE CAME ABOUT.
UM, BUT, UM, CAME ABOUT BECAUSE THE GUY IN AUSTIN SAID THESE ARE THE, THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE ON THE COMMITTEE.
THE ONLY DISCRETION WE HAD WAS WHETHER IT WAS GONNA BE JUDGE GER OR JUDGE CHI.
THAT WAS THE ONLY DISCRETION WE HAD.
AND WELL, BUT MY ASSUMPTION WAS AFTER THE COMMITTEE WAS DONE, I THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT ALL COMMISSIONERS FOR, BECAUSE THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A, THIS IS A PRETTY MAJOR PERSONNEL DEAL THAT WE WOULD ALL GET TO TALK TO THE APPLICANTS AND, YOU KNOW, AND THAT THERE WOULD BE A BLEEDING OUT PROCESS.
AND HERE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF, OF, UH, MAKING THE APPOINTMENT.
AND, UH, I'VE HAD, I'VE HAD NO INPUT IN THE PROCESS AT ALL AND PRESENTED WITH A RECOMMENDATION AND IT'S A UP OR DOWN ROAD ON ONE PERSON.
WELL, TO ANSWER THAT, THE, WE FOLLOWED THE PROCEDURE SET OUT BY BRIAN WILSON WITH THE, UH, INDIGENT DEFENSE TASK FORCE.
HE EXPLAINED THAT THESE, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT BE ON THE COMMITTEE.
AND THE ONLY DISCRETION WE HAD, LIKE I POINT OUT, WAS WITH THE JUDGE TAGARD OR JUDGE CHITTY.
THEN THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMITTEE WAS TO INTERVIEW THE PEOPLE, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COMMISSIONER'S, COURT.
COMMISSIONER'S COURT MAKES A FINAL DECISION ON WHO HE IS ACTUALLY HIRED AS A PUBLIC DEFENDER.
THE PUBLIC DEFENDER ANSWERS TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
AT ANY TIME THAT COMMITTEE SEES SOMETHING GOING ON THAT THEY DISAGREE WITH, THEY HAVE A RIGHT THEN TO BRING THAT PERSON IN, DISCUSS IT WITH HIM, AND THEN BRING THAT GRIEVANCE TO THE
THAT'S THE WAY THE GRANT IS SET UP.
AND THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE FOLLOWING IT.
NOW, IF YOU WANT, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO BE PART OF THE INTERVIEW SYSTEM, UH, BUT IF FOR CLARITY'S SAKE, OR FOR WHERE EVERYBODY THINKS THAT WE'RE NOT HIDING ANYTHING, WHETHER THE COMMITTEE'S NOT HIDING ANYTHING FROM THE COMMISSIONERS.
DO YOU WANT TO NAME OFF THE PEOPLE WHO DID APPLY FOR THE POSITION? ALRIGHT, UH, LINDA BARNETT, DARLA M MC, JOE GORDON, AND HE IS, UH, RETIRED.
IRS, UH, ATTORNEY, UH, ANDREW JORDAN.
TODD HUTTON, A GENTLEMAN NAMED DISHMAN FROM LOUISIANA, WHO DECLINED.
HE DOESN'T HAVE A TEXAS LICENSE AND DECIDED NOT TO COME OVER.
MICHAEL HARRIS PLAN? YES, SIR.
AND THERE WAS ALSO ONE, DID YOU SAY HARRINGTON JUDGE? ALRIGHT.
HOW MANY IS THAT TOTAL? THAT'S, UH,
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1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.IF YOU INCLUDE LOUISIANA, WHO DIDN'T COME, ONE OF 'EM DID NOT HAVE A TEXAS LICENSE.
NO ONE OF 'EM HAD AN INACTIVE LICENSE.
AND THEN THE JOHN, MR. DISHMAN.
TWO WEREN'T READY TO ROLL RIGHT THEN.
SO I THINK THAT LEFT THE RALLY.
YEAH, JUDGE, IT'S NOT, I MEAN, IT IS NOT A MATTER OF, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT I WANT, I MEAN THE, THE, THE, THE, THE PROCESS IS FINAL, THE FINAL DECISIONS MADE BY COMMISSIONERS.
AND WE ALL HAVE CONSTITUENCIES, CONSTITUENTS THAT ELECTED US TO REPRESENT THEM AND MAKE THEIR DECISION ON THEIR BEHALF.
AND I, YOU KNOW, AND NOW I THINK THE, I THINK THE, THE COMMITTEE DID A GOOD JOB.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE PERSON WHO, UH, Y'ALL RECOMMENDED IS, IS QUALIFIED FOR THE JOB.
BUT LIKE I SAY, I, UH, AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IF WE'RE GONNA HIRE SOMEBODY BY NOVEMBER 1ST, WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION NOW.
UH, BUT LIKE I SAY, I, I, I HAD ASSUMED THAT, THAT THERE WOULD AT LEAST BE A NARROWING DOWN PROCESS AND THAT WE WOULD, UH, UM, UH, THERE WOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION MADE AND, AND, UH, WE COULD, WE COULD VOTE ON THE RECOMMENDATION OR HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE IN THIS CASE THAT, I MEAN, THERE'S THERE, THERE'S NO BASIS TO, TO VOTE FOR AN ALTERNATIVE.
WELL, JUDGE, IT'S TRUE THAT I, THAT THREE OF US DIDN'T HAVE ANY INPUT ON THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
BUT I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE JUDGES THAT WERE ON THERE THAT HAD THE INPUT TO, UH, TO UH, NARROW THIS DOWN OR SELECT ONE, HAVE PROBABLY SEEN THESE PEOPLE IN COURT KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING, UH, KNOW WHETHER THEY'RE CAPABLE OR NOT.
UM, IN MY OPINION, THEY, THEY'VE DONE A GOOD JOB ON, ON, UH, WHAT THEY, WHAT THEIR DUTY WAS TO DO.
UH, I'M NOT SURE THAT I WOULD WANT IT.
IT WOULDN'T IT BE, IT SEEMED LIKE IT WOULD JUST BE TOO CUMBERSOME FOR THE COURT TO HAVE TO SIT IN ON THIS WHOLE THING AND LISTEN TO IT.
SO I'M, I'M HAPPY WITH THE, WITH THE WAY IT WAS HANDLED.
THESE JUDGES ARE THE ONES THAT THE PUBLIC DEFENDER WOULD BE PRACTICING IN FRONT OF, EXCEPT FOR ME.
'CAUSE I DON'T DO CRIMINAL LAW.
YEAH, I DO PROBATE, BUT NOT CRIMINAL LAW.
AND THIS PUBLIC DEFENDER'S NOT GONNA BE INVOLVED IN THE PROBATE PROCESS, BUT HE STILL WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE TO US ASSIST COMMISSIONERS, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
IF HE DOESN'T DO HIS JOB, THE COMMISSIONERS CAN TELL HIM HIT THE ROAD.
THE THING THAT I FEEL GOOD ABOUT ON THIS DEAL IS THAT HE IS GONNA GIVE UP HIS PRACTICE AND DO THIS FULL TIME.
NOW THAT, THAT WAS ONE KEY THAT I WAS REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT.
NEVER WAS DISCUSSED ANY OTHER WAY, KEN.
AND I FEEL LIKE WITH THE JUDGES BEING ON BOARD, I THINK WE CAN GET THIS THING OFF THE GROUND AND GET SOME THINGS STARTED.
UH, I, I SIT ON THE BOARD AND, AND I, I HAD, I CHOSE NOT TO HAVE ANY INPUT 'CAUSE I HAVE A LOT OF FAITH IN JUDGE NORVILLE AND JUDGE CHINEY AND JUDGE TIGER.
I THINK WE AS A COMMISSIONER COURT WOULD NOT BE QUALIFIED.
I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF TO ACTUALLY SAY, IS THIS PERSON ACTUALLY THE ONE WE WANT? AND I HAVE A LOT OF FAITH IN THE JUDGES THAT MADE THE DECISION.
UH, AND I DO KNOW IT WAS PRETTY OUTSTANDING.
UH, AND I, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
I TRUST THEIR JUDGMENT A LOT MORE THAN I TRUST MY KNOWLEDGE OF WHO WOULD BE A GOOD PUBLIC DEFENDER.
WE'LL, TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION THEN TO, UH, UH, COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMITTEE IS ANDREW JOY.
I, I'LL MAKE THE, I I'LL MAKE THE MOTION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAY, I'M JUST VOICING THE CONCERN.
MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER LEONARD.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SHANE.
ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ALL IN RIS AYE.
THERE'S NO OTHER BUSINESS COME BEFORE THE COURT.
I ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER ROUND.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BILL.