Public Defender Barbara Kelley attended the meeting and
submitted her monthly report to the committee for review. Ms. Kelley stated
they recently had a meeting to discuss coming up with a plan for centralized
arraignments, adding that the consensus was at this point there are too many
financial barriers to do arraignments at a fixed time every day at the Jail.
Ms. Kelley went on to say they are still going to meet and try to come up with
a workable plan that won’t have those financial barriers, and in the meantime
she will submit the grant application requesting the funding for an additional
attorney to try and cover off-hour arraignments. Legislator Graves asked if
this grant is in addition to the $250,000 grant being applied for. Ms. Kelley
stated this falls under that same grant. Public Safety Committee Chairman Phil
Curran stated that they briefly discussed using the Jail as an arraignment
point but not for all hours. Sheriff Whitney stated the Jail could be used for
arraignments without the holding aspect of it. Legislator Graves asked if it
doesn’t qualify as a holding center. Committee Chairman Curran stated not
without adding a substantial amount of staff. Legislator Decker asked if the
arraignments can be done by video conferencing. Ms. Kelley stated part of it
has to be face to face, adding the attorney needs to be there with the client.
Legislator Healy stated he believed they were adding positions at the Jail so
it could qualify as a holding center. Sheriff Whitney stated that is not in the
plan at this time. Committee Chairman Curran added the positions that were
added were part-time call in.
