1. The terms of any contract between a county
and an attorney who provides indigent defense services as an independent
contractor in any court within a county must avoid any actual or apparent
financial disincentives to the obligation of the attorney to provide clients
with competent legal services. Such a contract must include, without
limitation, the following:
(a) The
identification of the contracting authority and each attorney subject to the
contract.
(b) The terms of the
contract, including, without limitation, the duration of the contract, any
provision for renewal and any provision for terminating the contract by a
party.
(c) The category of cases in
which each attorney subject to the contract is to provide services.
(d) The minimum qualifications for each
attorney subject to the contract, which must be equal to or exceed the
qualifications required by this chapter, and a requirement that each attorney
maintain the applicable qualifications during the entire term of the contract.
If a contract covers services provided by more than one attorney, the
qualifications may be graduated according to the seriousness of offense, and
each attorney must be required to maintain only those qualifications
established for the offense levels for which the attorney is approved to
provide indigent defense services.
(e) The identification of each attorney who
will provide legal representation in each category of case covered by the
contract, including, without limitation, any attorney providing such
representation as a subcontractor, and a provision that ensures consistency in
representation in accordance with section 26 of LCB File No. R042-20.
(f) A provision establishing the maximum
workload that each attorney may be required to handle pursuant to the contract
based upon the applicable guidelines established by the Board pursuant to
section 42 of LCB File No. R042-20, as amended by section 11, and a provision
requiring the reporting of indigent defense data in accordance with sections 43
and 44 of LCB File No. R042-20.
(g)
In accordance with section 27 of LCB File No. R042-20, as amended by section 4,
a requirement that each attorney provide legal representation to all clients in
a professional, skilled manner consistent with all applicable laws, regulations
and rules of professional conduct and the Nevada Indigent Defense Standards of
Performance set forth in ADKT No. 411 of the Nevada Supreme Court.
(h) The statement of a policy that ensures
that an attorney does not provide representation to a defendant when doing so
would involve a conflict of interest.
(i) A provision regarding how investigative
services, expert witnesses and other case-related expenses that are reasonably
necessary to provide competent representation will be made in accordance with
all applicable laws and regulations.
(j) A provision requiring compensation to be
provided at a reasonable hourly rate that is comparable to the hourly rate
provided to local prosecutors with similar experience and that is determined
after taking into consideration comparable workload, overhead costs, expenses
and costs relating to significant attorney travel.
2. Every contract for the provision of
indigent defense services, including, without limitation, any subcontract, must
be approved by the Department before the contract is executed.
Added
to NAC by
R042-20A,
eff. 10/25/2021; A
by
R033-23A,
eff. 12/15/2023