Board approves $3.03 million Cohen Defense Group contract for conflict indigent defense

Faced with persistent difficulty recruiting local attorneys for court-appointed conflict-of-interest indigent defense cases, the Nevada County Board of Supervisors approved a turnkey contract with Cohen Defense Group (CDG) to serve as the primary assigned counsel when the County Public Defender is conflicted out.

Staff described a competitive RFP process: over 700 firms were invited; 14 accessed documents and the county received one bid from Cohen Defense Group. A selection panel including the county public defender and superior court judges reviewed the proposal. The recommended, fixed-price contract totals approximately $3,028,780 for county costs through June 30, 2027 (about $1M per year on average). County staff said that the historical average charge for conflict indigent defense was about $416,000 per year; the proposed contract represents an increase but aims to reduce reliance on more expensive out-of-area attorneys and to provide consistent, staffed offices in Nevada City and Truckee.

Cohen principals and other defense attorneys explained they based staffing levels on caseload tiers supplied in the RFP and planned to hire local and regionally experienced attorneys and support staff. The contract includes reporting requirements, monthly staffing and case metrics, utilization review after the first year and termination language for county protections. A companion interlocal agreement with Placer County spreads the costs for eastern-county services and, staff said, reduces projected costs compared with creating a new county-run office there. After extended questioning about caseload projections, quality assurance, conflict definitions and budget impacts, the Board voted unanimously to approve both the Cohen contract and the Placer County agreement.