MC OPDS COUNTY FY 21 PROGRAM PLAN.PDF

Adjudication
Indigent Defense
Probation
Sub Grantee:              
Name & Title
Telephone #
APPROVED BY:
Cycle 34 Program Plan
ARIZONA SUPREME COURT
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS,  ADULT PROBATION SERVICES DIVISION
Drug, Gang, and Violent Crime Control Program Grant 
July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021
Check the applicable program area box(es) for projects to be funded
Maricopa County - Indigent Defense
County:
Maricopa County
Source of 25% Local Match:
Submitted By:
Desiree Moffitt, Finance Business Manager
Name & Title
Signature & Date
Name & Title
Signature & Date
Name & Title
Signature & Date
QUARTERLY REPORTS TO BE PREPARED BY:
Desiree Moffitt, Finance Business Manager
602-372-0539
Name & Title
Telephone #
Director, Maricopa County Office of Public Defense Services
Date
7/7/2020

Program Area
Employee Name & 
Position Title
Actual Annual 
Salary
ERE
ERE Total
Total Salary/ERE
Approved 
FTE %
Approved 
Salary
Approved 
ERE
Total Program 
Cost Salary/ERE
Indigent Defense
William Fisher, 
Attorney 
 $     128,203.00 
29%  $   37,178.87  $             165,382.00 
68%
87,178.00
$    
25,282.00
$     
112,460.00
$      
Indigent Defense
Michelle Rathkamp, 
Attorney
 $       83,353.00 
35%  $   29,173.55  $             112,527.00 
66%
55,013.00
$    
19,255.00
$     
74,268.00
$         
Indigent Defense
Christopher Simonds, 
Attorney
 $       78,321.00 
35%  $   27,412.35  $             105,733.00 
69%
54,041.00
$    
18,914.00
$     
72,955.00
$         
$289,877.00
$93,764.77
383,642.00
$            
2.03
196,232
$       
63,451
$           
259,683
$            
Grant 
Allocation
25% Match 
(Required)
Fisher, W
84,345.00
$       
28,116.00
$        
Rathkamp, M
55,701.00
$       
18,567.00
$        
Simonds, C
54,716.00
$       
18,238.00
$        
194,762
$          
64,921
$              
259,683
$      
Funding Breakdown
Personnel
TOTAL
A.  SALARY & FRINGE BENEFITS DETAIL

B. PROBLEM STATEMENT
Identify the problem in your community that DGVCCP Grant funds will address. Be very specific and include verifiable statistical data to define 
the severity of the identified problem(s). If statistical data is not provided to define the drug problem in your community, your packet will be 
returned to you for further work.  
The Early Disposition Court (EDC) was established in 1997 as a result of Proposition 200.  The proposition necessitated a change in the legal system by requiring incentives such as early pleas and earlier treatment 
for defendants facing drug-related charges.  In addition to fulfilling the Proposition 200 mandate, EDC helped alleviate the backlog of trials in the Maricopa County Superior Court Criminal Division.  
Over 11,000 cases are expected to have funnelled through EDC in FY20.  The  number of cases would have been considerably higher had it not been for Court closures resulting from COVID 19.  The Court closures 
have also resulted in the County Attorney holding a large number of cases to be filed at a later date.  We anticipate that the delayed filings will impact the EDC.  Failure to maintain appropriate staffing levels will 
jeopardize the quality of representation and potentially result in significant negative consequences for the defendants, perhaps even an increase in incarceration rates. 
Substance abuse is pervasive in America, and in Arizona it is reaching epidemic proportion.  According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety Crime Report 31,000 drug 
related arrests were made in 2013, 86% of those arrests were drug possession cases.  Research suggests a high percentage of the crime in our community is the byproduct of 
substance abuse. The prevalence of substance abuse in our community is due in large part to its proximity to the international border and consequent use as a primary drug 
importation and transshipment city.  Designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) for the Southwest Region, Tucson is commonly used as a drug stash 
location. Drug Court is a community based supervision program for a diverse population of adult defendants who have committed drug possession offenses or committed 
other offenses to support their drug addiction.  Participants tend to be individuals with extensive prior criminal histories and serious substance abuse problems. Because 
research has shown the shorter the elapsed time between the date of the offense and the date treatment begins, the more likely an individual is to successfully engage in and 
complete treatment, every effort is made to expedite the processing of Drug Court eligible cases.  Allocation of judicial resources provided by this funding will allow the 
continuation of this successful program, which expects to serve over 300 participants during FY 2015-2016. 
Example:
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Problem Statement

Maricopa Indigent Defense would like to continue to use these funds to staff the EDC.  Continued funding will allow the Public Defender's Office to fund 50.50% of the salary for three attorneys from the DEA 
grant funds. The three positions will have 49.50% of their salary funded by the general fund, a portion of which will serve as an in-kind match.  
All attorneys funded through the DEA grant will continue to be assigned to the Trial Division Early Disposition Court (EDC).  Through ongoing education provided by the Public Defender’s Office, the attorneys 
working in the EDC develop and maintain expertise in working with drug offenders and drug-related cases.   Early resolution in these cases is supported by evidence-based initiatives to reduce incarceration 
time and other pretrial court involvements.  This not only reduces costs, but also reduces recidivism rates.  The attorneys with expertise in this area effectively and efficiently reach early resolutions in many 
cases.
C. PROJECT SUMMARY
Provide a summary of the program that DGVCCP Grant funds will be used to support. The summary must  (1) describe the 
strategy/approach to be used in reaching program goals and objectives (2) outline specific tasks/activities to be conducted in order to put 
the strategy/approach into action and (3) impact on target population.
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Project Summary

D. PROGRAM COLLABORATION
Demonstrate a strong collaborative effort with law enforcement, prosecution, service providers, community organizations, and other 
governmental and social service agencies. Describe in detail a recent collaboration, state the purpose and outcome. 
Indigent Defense actively collaborates with the Courts, Adult Probation, the Sheriff’s Office, and the County Attorney’s Office on committees focusing on initiatives that support evidence-based efforts to reduce 
recidivism.  These initiatives focus meaningful intervention on offenders at an early stage, addressing the root causes of their criminal behavior.  This reduction in recidivism enhances public safety and reduces 
future demands on the criminal justice system.  Staff funded by DEA are at an entry point for offenders in the system and, consequently, are ideally situated to be involved in these efforts.  The Public Defender’s 
Office meets regularly with representatives from all agencies present in the EDC to discuss and improve the day to day operations of the court. A large proportion of the EDC cases are diverted for drug 
treatment and monitoring.  Successfully diverted cases are subsequently dismissed.  The community benefits from such a program as it is designed to allow drug offenders treatment that may help them 
become drug-free, while also helping the offender to avoid the negative consequences associated with criminal convictions.  
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Collaboration