Summary
The City of Hermiston is looking to fill a contracted defense attorney position. We invite attorneys with criminal defense experience or those looking to gain experience to apply. The City is interested in contracting with an attorney commencing on May 1st, 2025 for one (1) year and two (2) months, with the option to extend the contract with the mutual agreement of the parties for an additional one-year period. The City expects to establish an ongoing relationship that ensures high quality, responsive, and timely legal services for the City’s Municipal Court.
Scope of Work
The City wishes to contract for public defense services for indigent defendants for misdemeanor offenses. The public defense attorney or firm selected will appear in the Hermiston Municipal Court on behalf of defendants who have established their indigency and have been appointed to the attorney or firm by the Hermiston Municipal Judge. The attorney will provide criminal defense services and will be available to talk and met with indigent defendants at the attorney’s office or court allocated space. The attorney will maintain communication on a timely manner with the defendant being represented.
Legal services provided will include, but not be limited to, interviews of clients and potential witnesses, legal research, preparation and filing of pleadings, negotiations with the City prosecutor and court regarding possible dispositions, and preparations for and appearance at court proceedings. Attorney will retain control over the manner in which he/she performs the Services. Attorney/firm will not subcontract any services and will personally perform all services.
The attorney can expect to be appointed to 30-40 misdemeanor cases per month. The attorney would be expected to attend all Municipal Court sessions in which defendants are represented (Approximately 4- 8 hours per week. The Court Administrator will work with all involved parties to create a consistent docket/schedule for the calendar year.).
The attorney may be appointed to indigent defendants on Order to Show Cause and Probation Violation matters before the Hermiston Municipal Court.
Minimum Qualifications
Admission and good standing with the Oregon State Bar.
Maintain full professional liability coverage as directed by the Oregon State Bar throughout the duration of time served.
Compensation
Any attorney/firm selected for these services shall be paid as an independent contractor without benefits. The monthly compensation rate will begin at $9,000.00 and is negotiable dependent on experience and the case workload. The city may consider alternative options such as an hourly rate or individual case fee. The attorney/firm will not be included in any public employee pension system and is not provided medical benefits.
Proposal Submission
Interested candidates should provide the following as part of their proposal:
- A letter of interest outlining the candidate’s credentials, experience and interest in the position.
- Description of guidelines of how the attorney’s caseloads will be monitored and how the workload responsibilities of the City will be accommodated and prioritized in relationship to other contracts or obligations.
- Information on how the attorney or firm will evaluate for and access other services, such as interpreters.
- Compensation amount requested and fee structure for compensation.
Please send the proposal to Municipal Court Administrator, Jillian Viles. These can be submitted via email to jviles@hermiston.gov or can be delivered to the Hermiston Municipal Court, 180 NE 2nd Street., Hermiston, OR 97838. Proposals due by Friday, March 28th, 2025. The City, at its discretion, may conduct interviews with interested candidates.
Selection Criteria
The selection of the public defender will be based on the ability of the proposer to best meet the requirements established in this request for proposals. In the evaluation process, the City will consider the qualifications of the specific proposer, including the history of successfully fulfilling contracts of this type, experience with similar work, ability and history of meeting deadlines. The City will also consider the completeness of the written proposal.
Additional Terms and Conditions
The City shall not be responsible for any costs incurred by a firm or attorney in preparing, submitting, or presenting its response to this RFP. The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive minor irregularities in any proposal. The City reserves the right to request clarification of information submitted and to request additional information from any proposer.