Indigent Defense Assistance Board
Minutes
of the Board Meeting
Members Present: Cheney C. Joseph,
Chair; Alfred Boustany; John DiGiulio; Cameron Gamble; Michelle Ghetti; and
Donald Phelps.
Ex Officio Members Present: James Boren; Anthony Champagne; and Henry
Walker.
Staff Present: Edward R. Greenlee and Marsha Austtun Oliver.
Guests Present: Raymond Cannon, Gary Clements, Kerry Cuccia, Richard
Goorley, Denise LeBoeuf,
Call to Order and Opening Remarks. The meeting was called to order at
Review and Adoption of
Minutes of the Meeting of
Proposed Legislation. Mr. Greenlee reviewed proposed legislation for
the implementation of a $40.00 application fee for defendants seeking
representation from the indigent defender boards as a means of offsetting some
of the revenue losses many districts are suffering due to continually shrinking
court costs revenues. Senator Dardenne
will be the sponsor of the legislation to be proposed during the 2003
session. Board members, assured that no
one truly unable to pay the fee would be denied counsel, expressed support for
the application fee. Mr. Di Giulio moved
that the Board submit a resolution in favor of the legislation, which was
seconded by Ms. Ghetti and passed without opposition.
Vice-Chair. Mr. Joseph noted that a Vice Chair had not
been selected by the Board. Due to the
resignations of Frank DeSalvo and Wayne Lee, the Board deferred selection of a
Vice Chair until appointments had been made to fill the positions left vacant
by Messrs. DeSalvo and Lee.
Fiscal Year 2002-2003 Budget Cuts. Mr. Greenlee advised the Board that the funds
subject to the budget freeze previously ordered by the Governor had become a
budget cut. In response to a request by Mr.
Greenlee in October 2002, several of the directors of LIDAB programs submitted
amounts by which their respective budgets could be decreased. The total of program budget reductions
submitted fell short of the $348,551.00 cut mandated by Governor Foster. Program directors, public defenders and other
interested parties presented commentary on how the remaining cuts should be
distributed among the LIDAB programs.
After much discussion, Mr. DiGiulio moved that the budgets of the LIDAB
programs be reduced as follows:
Capital
Assistance Project of
Capital
Defense Project of
Capital
Post-Conviction Project of
District
Assistance Fund $ 25,000.00
Juvenile
Justice Project of
Mr. Boustany seconded
this motion. Mr. Gamble voted in favor
of the motion. Ms. Ghetti opposed the
motion. Mr. Phelps abstained. The motion passed.
Fiscal Year 2003-2004 Budget Cuts. Mr. Greenlee reviewed
budget cuts proposed by the Executive Office for fiscal year 2003-2004. The Governor’s office submitted a budget
cutting the LIDAB budget by approximately $685,000.00. The Board discussed the devastating
consequences of such a cut and Mr. Joseph suggested that Board members, public
defenders and program directors attend legislative budget committee meetings in
support of maintaining the LIDAB budget without the proposed cut. Mr. Greenlee stated that he would notify the
chiefs of all the district indigent defender boards of the time and place of
legislative committee meetings concerning the LIDAB budget.
Committee Assignments and Meetings. Mr. Greenlee stated that committee
assignments of the Board members needed review as there was confusion regarding
assignments to the two capital committees.
Mr. Boren requested that the committees select a chair, have regular
meetings and submit a report promptly.
Mr. Di Giulio suggested that the two capital committees be
re-established as one committee, that a Chair of a committee be appointed and
all Board members consult with Mr. Greenlee as to their desire to be on the
capital committee. Mr. Greenlee advised
all interested members to contact him so that a meeting of the capital
committee is scheduled as soon as possible.
Reports on Conflict Panels. Mr. Greenlee distributed reports on the
caseloads of each of the capital conflict offices for the review of the Board.
Capital Post-Conviction Expert Issues. Mr. Greenlee explained problems involved in
paying for expert witness fees where indigents were represented by counsel pro
bono. The board deferred action on this
request to later meeting.
Other
Business. None.
Adjournment. There being no additional business brought to the attention of the Board, Mr. Boustany moved that the meeting be adjourned. Mr. Phelps seconded the motion which passed without objection.