Cook County Public Defenders Blog

At a meeting this morning, the Local learned that there will be no layoffs in the Office of the Cook County Public Defender.   While there will be cuts to the budget that will affect you in the upcoming year, we are glad that none of the cuts will translate into layoffs.  Stay tuned for more news shortly regarding where the cuts will be made. 

Thanks again to the strong support shown by our attorneys at the Special meeting of the County Board this last Friday.

In Solidarity,

K. S. Galhotra

Local 3315 President

There is good news and bad news to report to the membership following an afternoon at the County Board Building.   

Many members who would be affected by layoffs (and several others) attended the County Board meeting today and most spoke to some of the Commissioners and/or their staff about the impact the cuts would have on the office and their jobs.  The Board voted, however, to adopt the budget with the 4% cuts.  That’s the bad news.

But at the same meeting, questions were raised by Commissioner Suffredin about whether adopting the budget would lead to the layoff of Assistant Public Defenders.  The head of the Bureau of Administration, Mark Killgallon,  addressed the Commissioners and told them that he would be working with the Public Defenders office to prevent the layoff of front-line attorneys.  Continued questioning on this issue was not had due to a motion by Commissioner Periaca who argued that further discussion was not appropriate and out of order since the Finance Committee had already addressed these issues and voted for across-the-board cuts in previous sessions.  So the assurance from Killgallon that he would work with the office to make sure there were no layoffs is the “good news.”

On Monday, February 23rd, the union will be meeting with the Public Defender to discuss the budget and find other areas to implement budget cuts.  In addition, talks are ongoing with the Board President’s office to determine if money not utilized by other departments  may also be used to prevent the layoffs of front-line attorneys.

So while there is reason to be nervous, it’s not  yet time to panic. As soon as  I have more information, I will update the membership.

In Solidarity,

K. S. Galhotra, President

Local 3315

Sisters and Brothers:
 
Within the last few hours, the local was made aware of the amount the County Board has “targeted” for our office.  You will recall that last week the finance committee resolved to cut most Bureau of Administration Departments by 4% and Health Care Departments by 2%.  Ed Burnette had reportedly filed an impact statement with the County Board that predicted the shut down of various divisions like Civil and Traffic among others.  Apparently, none of the Commissioners read or understood the impact statement.  Evidently, they thought the cuts would only result in eliminating vacant positions.
 
There is, obviously, a possibility that front-line newly hired and recently recalled attorneys will be laid off.  The number that has been thrown around is 35.  According to the County and Management, the budget hole that needs to be filled by layoffs, furloughs, cuts in supplies, training, etc must total a little over $1.37 million. 
 
You should know that the local is continually working on reducing or eliminating the number that is being thrown around.  Notwithstanding, we believe that there is money in the County to maintain the levels that we were cut down to over the last few years.  We can’t take anymore cuts to our attorney staffing levels!
 
I URGE ALL RECENTLY HIRED ATTORNEYS (SINCE 2005) TO COME TO THE COUNTY BUILDING TOMORROW, FRIDAY (2/20/09) AND MEET WITH COMMISSIONERS.  THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO VOTE ON OUR REDUCED BUDGET AT 2PM.  TELL THEM OF THE SACRIFICES YOU MADE, THE JOBS YOU LEFT TO BECOME APDS.  TELL THEM OF YOUR STUDENT LOAN OBLIGATIONS.  TELL THEM OF YOUR ENORMOUS CASE LOAD. TELL THEM HOW YOU COULDN’T FIND A JOB THE LAST TIME YOU WERE LAID OFF.
 
See you at the County Building- 118 N. Clark Street, 5th Floor.
 
In Solidarity,
 
K. S. Galhotra, President
Local 3315

Here he is, by popular demand, George Grzeca, the Local’s Member of the Month.  An Assistant Public Defender in Cook County since 12/16/78 and veteran of the Homicide Task Force, he retired at the end of last year.  He remains, unofficially, “of counsel” and a holdover tenant as well.

Here is how it looks currently for the 2009 budget for the Office of the Public Defender. Edwin Burnette submitted an initial budget proposal for 2009 to Todd Stroger for $60.7 million, about $9 million more than our 2008 budget appropriation. Todd Stroger cut Ed’s initial proposal to about $54 million. In the meantime, Stroger required Ed to present 3 alternative budgets, which included cuts of 4%, 5%, and 6%. Ed decided to structure each of these alternative budgets so that the entire amount of cuts to the office came from attorney salaries- for instance, for the alternative 4% budget, all 4% of Ed’s proposed cuts come from a reduction of the number of attorney positions in the Office.

Last week, the Finance Committee of the Cook County Board rejected Stroger’s bond proposal, and instead agreed on a budget with 4% cuts. To the Public Defender budget, that means a cut from Stroger’s proposed 2009 budget of about $54 million, to a budget of about $51.8 million. This triggers Ed’s alternative budget submission with cuts to attorney positions.

The Union has urged Ed to alter his plan for how to cut $2.1 million (4%) from the budget of the Office and prevent the loss of attorney positions. The following cuts in the Public Defender budget for 2009 should occur before any Assistant Public Defenders lose their jobs: $150,000 for vehicle purchases, and $750,000 for office equipment. Further, all vacant positions can be kept open and not eliminated by funding them at the $1 level. We believe that when you combine these savings, with savings in other areas the Union has suggested to Ed, our Office can limp through this budget season without layoffs.

A report is due out this month from the National Academy of Sciences which is expected to have huge policy implications on the use of expert testimony in criminal cases throughout the country. Click here for a link to an article from the New York Times by Solomon Moore regarding the report.