Within it’s first year, the Los Angeles County Public Defenders Office’s Independent Defense Counsel Office was awarded two Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) in the Criminal Justice and Public Safety category for Enhancing Access to Justice and Enhancing Access to Treatment and Services for Community Members Living with Psychiatric Disabilities through CARE Court. The awards honor innovative, effective County government programs that strengthen services for residents.

“A year ago, we established the Independent Defense Counsel Office to facilitate the vigorous protection and defense of the rights, liberties, and dignity of indigent clients at the third level of conflict in criminal proceedings,” said Public Defender Ricardo D. Garcia. “Today we are celebrating the anniversary with two prestigious NACo Awards. IDCO’s innovations have facilitated the ability to respond quickly to changes in the County’s legal landscape while also promoting an increase in quality, diversity, and effectiveness among the members of the attorney panel.”

The Independent Defense Counsel Office (IDCO), established on July 1st 2023, is a separately operated and ethically walled-off administration formed under the auspices of the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office that is tasked with managing the county’s panel of independently contracted attorneys to provide indigent defense services in the event of a conflict of interest by the County’s two primary public defense offices. IDCO has transformed the administration of the county’s independent contract attorney panel through increased efficiency, adaptability, and technological optimization by increasing training opportunities and eliminating attorney fees for panel membership.

Among IDCO’s earliest responsibilities was overseeing the legal representation of psychiatrically disabled community members engaged in CARE Court, a groundbreaking judicial process designed to connect California’s most vulnerable mentally ill residents with intensive wraparound supportive services. By leveraging its rapid staffing response capabilities and adaptability, IDCO proved critical to realizing the county’s substantially expedited CARE Court implementation.

“Through dedicated efforts and collaborative partnerships, this past year has been marked by substantial achievements in providing criminal legal defense to indigent residents of LA County and supporting clients navigating the CARE Court process,” said Marco Saenz, Director of the Independent Defense Counsel Office. “Our commitment to ensuring fair representation underscores our mission of justice and compassion.”

To learn more about the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, visit pubdef.lacounty.gov.

To learn more about the Independent Defense Counsel Office, visit idco.lacounty.gov.

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About NACo’s Achievement Awards

The National Association of Counties (NACo) strengthens America’s counties, including nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees. Founded in 1935, NACo unites county officials to advocate for county government priorities in federal policymaking; promote exemplary county policies and practices; nurture leadership skills and expand knowledge networks; optimize county and taxpayer resources and cost savings; and enrich the public’s understanding of county government. Launched in 1970, the NACo Achievement Awards are designed to celebrate innovation in county government. Each year, NACo recognizes outstanding programming in 18 categories aligned with the vast, comprehensive services counties provide. Each nominated program is judged on its own merits and not against other applications. Learn more about NACo by visiting www.naco.org.