Public Defender Services

The City of Surprise is seeking Public Defender Services on a contract basis for the City of Surprise Court. If you or your law firm are interested, please read over the attached scope of work and provide us with an updated resume and a list of your qualifications. The City of Surprise and the Surprise Court will review resumes and qualifications to select at least one (1) law firm or individual(s).

Possible days of service will be the first Thursday of each month for Non-Jury trials and every Tuesday for Pre-Trials and Trial Readiness Conferences. Jury trials are generally set on Thursdays and Fridays, but that can change depending on the needs of the Court.

There is no guarantee of the number of hours that will be required from the resulting Agreement(s). The anticipated yearly compensation for this contract is no more than $50,000.00 per Public Defender.

Services are required to effectively and efficiently meet the following needs:

• To handle seasonal, peak workloads or special projects;
• To fill-in during temporary absences of staff;
• To supply specialized needs; and,
• Other purposes which are not known at this time.

Expectations:

1. The Contractor will be available on an on-call basis to provide public defender services.
2. The Contractor will guarantee availability if given three (3) business days' notice.
3. The Contractor will respond to service requests within a reasonable timeframe.
4. The Contractor will provide high-quality public defender services that meet the needs of the City
5. The Contractor will maintain a professional and courteous demeanor when working with staff
6. The Contractor will adhere to all Court and City policies and procedures.
7. The Contractor will make every effort to provide coverage for any late-notice requests
8. Must possess the ability to work a flexible schedule.

Public Defender Services are provided by the City of Surprise as required by the United States Constitution, the Arizona Constitution, and Rule 6 of the Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure for the State of Arizona. The Surprise City Court appoints Public Defenders and Advisory Counsel to indigent defendants who cannot afford legal representation. The appointed attorneys provide legal representation, consultation, and advice. Public Defenders represent defendants with criminal cases, as Advisory Counsel represents all defendants at initial arraignment, in-custody defendants, and defendants in released status.