NCJ Number
207487
Date Published
September 2004
Length
145 pages
Annotation
This report presents information and data on the operations of Maryland's Office of the Public Defender (OPD) for fiscal year 2004.
Abstract
During fiscal year 2004, the OPD achieved several goals related to its mission of providing high-quality legal representation for indigent defendants throughout the State. The OPD completed the first year of the Caseloads Initiative, which is designed to reduce excessive caseloads, to establish caseload standards tailored to Maryland's criminal justice system, and to develop a state-of-the-art case management system that improves attorney and staff efficiency and collects accurate, comprehensive caseload data. Other achievements in fiscal year 2004 were a case-weighting study, pay parity between OPD attorneys and attorneys in the Attorney General's Office, and the passage of legislation that prohibits juvenile respondents from waiving the right to counsel without first consulting with counsel. The case-weighting study, which will be completed in 2005, will develop caseload standards for each area of Maryland practice. A total of 174,204 cases were opened in fiscal year 2003, compared to 177,358 cases opened in fiscal year 2002. Case information is presented for each district in the State, as well as for the OPD's Appellate Division, Collateral Review Division, Involuntary Institutionalization Services Division, and the Capital Defense Division. Appended supplementary data, including a summary of fees collected