Pro Bono News

Counties paying more for free legal services

Tuesday, April 05, 2016

Posted Apr 4, 2016 at 5:00 AM
Updated at 8:57 AM

 

The right to legal representation is costing the counties of New York state big bucks.
And with the passage of the state budget last week — which contained none of the assistance counties were seeking in covering the legal fees of those who cannot afford that representation — it doesn't appear relief will be coming any time soon.

 

 

According to the New York State Association of Counties, in 2013 alone, counties outside of New York City spent more than $150 million on state-mandated indigent legal services, and the money that the state had been reimbursing them to cover some of those costs, has been dwindling with each passing year.
Case in point: Herkimer County, where County Administrator Jim Wallace said $435,090 was spent on indigent legal costs in 2015, for which it had expected to be reimbursed $22,247 by the state, only to be told recently it would receive nothing.

 

 

Wallace said the county has seen its state aid for those legal fees steadily fall from about $90,000 in 2011 to $60,000 in 2014, and the county Legislature passed a symbolic resolution at its last meeting requesting that the state pick up its entire tab for 2015.

 

 

Considering that 2007 lawsuit filed by the New York State Civil Liberties Union on behalf of five counties (including Onondaga) resulted in a settlement that required the state to provide more comprehensive indigent legal services and pay for them in just those counties, Wallace anticipates an increase of about 50 percent in its costs this year as it is forced to meet the same standards without assistance. Continue Reading