Ventura--The Ventura County Public Defender’s Office update and budget request to the Board of Supervisors continues with a look into the department’s future.
THE proposed net budget calls for $18.592 million, with $24.168 million in appropriations and $5.576 million in revenue.
Ventura County Public Defender Claudia Bautista said the future within the office will mean more powerful and positive outcomes in the community, starting with the Public Defense Pilot Grant.
“We received a little over $1 million to assist in postconviction work,” she said. “This is expanding the work that we are already doing in post-conviction. We expect this grant to fund three fixed-term attorneys, two fixed-term sentencing specialists, and two fixed-term administrative positions.”
She said the post-conviction work stems from changing legislation and hopefully will address and resource the resentencing work they’re doing and the changes in legislation affecting certain crimes.
“It’s the Public Defender’s responsibility to bring the changes before the court on behalf of our clients,” she said. “It is also hoping to address litigation in racial bias discrimination and jury trials in charging and policing through the Racial Justice Act. It also seeks to help us support and fund our post-conviction work in immigration. It…
