Washington · statute · Wash. Rev. Code ch. 2.70 · 20 active provisions
In order to implement the constitutional and statutory guarantees of counsel and to ensure effective and efficient delivery of indigent defense services funded by the state of Washington, an office of public defense is established as an independent agency of the judicial branch.
The supreme court shall appoint the director of the office of public defense from a list of three names submitted by the advisory committee created under RCW 2.70.030. Qualifications shall include admission to the practice of law in this state for at least five years, experience in providing indigent defense services,…
The director shall:(1) Administer all state-funded services in the following program areas:(a) Trial court criminal indigent defense, as provided in chapter 10.101 RCW;(b) Appellate indigent defense, as provided in this chapter and RCW 10.73.150;(c) Representation of indigent parents qualified for appointed counsel in…
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the office of public defense shall not provide direct representation of clients.(2) In order to protect and preserve client rights when administering the office's statutory duties to provide initial telephonic or video consultation services, managing and supervising att…
In providing indigent defense services for sexually violent predator civil commitment cases under chapter 71.09 RCW, the director shall:(1) In accordance with state contracting laws, contract with persons admitted to practice law in this state and organizations employing persons admitted to practice law in this state f…
In providing postcommitment public defense services for indigent persons who are committed to state psychiatric care following acquittal by reason of insanity under chapter 10.77 RCW, the director shall:(1) In accordance with state contracting laws, contract with persons admitted to practice law in this state and with…
(1) There is created an advisory committee consisting of the following members:(a) Three persons appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court, who shall also appoint the chair of the committee;(b) Two nonattorneys appointed by the governor;(c) Two senators, one from each of the two largest caucuses, appointed by…
All employees of the office of public defense shall be exempt from state civil service under chapter 41.06 RCW.
(1) All powers, duties, and functions of the supreme court and the administrative office of the courts pertaining to appellate indigent defense are transferred to the office of public defense.(2)(a) All reports, documents, surveys, books, records, files, papers, or written material in the possession of the supreme cour…
For the purposes of RCW 2.70.070 through 2.70.090, "parent ally" means a parent who has successfully resolved the issues that led the parent's child into the care of the juvenile dependency court system, resulting in family reunification or another permanency outcome, and who has an interest in working collaboratively…
(1) The goal of the parents for parents program is to increase the permanency and well-being of children in foster care through peer mentoring that increases parental engagement and contributes to family reunification.(2) The parents for parents program may provide structured peer mentoring for families entering the de…
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, components of the parents for parents program, provided by parent allies, may include:(1) Outreach and support to parents at dependency-related hearings, beginning with the shelter care hearing;(2) A class that educates parents about the dep…
(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the parents for parents program shall be funded through the office of public defense and centrally administered through a pass-through to a Washington state nonprofit-lead organization that has extensive experience supporting parent alli…
(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, a research entity with experience in child welfare research shall conduct an evaluation of the parents for parents program. The evaluation design must meet the standards necessary to determine whether parents for parents can be considere…
Subject to the rules of discovery, the office of public defense is authorized to collect identifying information for any youth who speaks with a consulting attorney pursuant to RCW 13.40.740; provided, however, that such records are exempt from public disclosure.
(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of public defense shall administer a law student rural public defense program. The program shall coordinate with one or more law schools to place law students who are eligible to practice as a licensed legal intern under Washi…
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of public defense shall expand the capacity of its criminal defense training academy program to train practitioners who are new to public defense. The program must include and prioritize training for practitioners in underserved a…
(1) Subject to amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of public defense may provide reimbursement of eligible expenses or contract directly with indigent defense providers for consultation and representation services for indigent adults facing pending charges or charged with violations of RCW 69.50.…
(1) All powers, duties, and functions of the department of social and health services and the special commitment center pertaining to indigent defense under chapter 71.09 RCW are transferred to the office of public defense.(2)(a) The office of public defense may request any written materials in the possession of the de…
(1) All powers, duties, and functions of county government and the department of social and health services pertaining to public defense services for indigent persons who are committed following acquittal by reason of insanity under chapter 10.77 RCW are transferred to the office of public defense. County government an…