Seward County Contract Public Defender
General Duties
The Public Defender shall perform as counsel in all cases in which court appointments are made for clients in criminal cases, mental health board cases, extradition cases, civil contempt cases, and any cases filed in the Juvenile Court, as well as appeals related to any of these types of cases. In order to ensure that they are not overburdened by court appointments, to the point where they are incapable of providing effective assistance of counsel, there shall be a cap on the amount of certain types of open cases that can be assigned to them at any given time. The Public Defender shall provide services to clients in a professional and skilled manner consistent with the standards required by the Nebraska State Bar Association and the Canon of Ethics in the State of Nebraska. They shall further comply with all standards for appointment of Court Appointed Counsel as may be adopted and amended by the Nebraska Supreme Court.
Office and Staff
The Public Defender agrees to maintain a physical office within the County of Seward at their expense. The parties acknowledge and agree that they shall utilize the services of additional attorneys and staff as is necessary to perform his/her duties. Activities performed by the Public Defender’s staff will be under the supervision and control of the Public Defender and performed as employees or independent contractors of a law firm.
Compensation
The County shall pay $125,000.00 for each year of the contract. In the event of cases which require an extraordinary amount of time and preparation, they may bill the County at a rate of $125.00 per hour.
How to Apply
Submit a letter of interest and resume addressed to the Seward County Board of Commissioners to:
Seward County Human Resources
529 Seward Street, Room 105
Seward, NE 68434
OR
The full contract will be available upon request and/or after applicants submit their information to Human Resources.
