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The Los Angeles County Independent Counsel Office (IDCO), established under the auspices of the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, is a separate, autonomous, ethically walled-off office that oversees and administers the following private attorney appointment panels in Los Angeles County:
- Adult Criminal Conflict Panel
- Adult Criminal Mental Health Court Panel
- Adult Criminal Postconviction Relief Panel
- Adult Criminal SVP Panel
- Juvenile Justice Conflict Panel
- Civil Contempt Panel
- Family Law Contempt Panel
- California CARE Court Panel
IF YOU ARE IN CUSTODY:
Usually, within two court days of your arrest you will be brought to a local court for your arraignment where you should tell the judge that you want a Public Defender to represent you. Your case will be continued to the next court day and a Public Defender will meet with you before your next court date to determine if you are eligible to be represented by the Public Defender’s Office. If you are, the attorney will explain the charges against you, discuss the facts of your case with you, and describe the steps that lay ahead in your case.
IF YOU ARE NOT IN CUSTODY:
After you are arrested, the police will give you a time and place to appear for your arraignment. At this court date you should tell the judge that you want a Public Defender to represent you. Your case will be continued a week or two and the judge will order that you go to the local Public Defender’s Office to be interviewed. Before your next court date you will go the Public Defender’s Office where we will meet with you to determine if you are eligible to be represented by the Public Defender’s Office. If you are, the attorney will explain the charges against you, discuss the facts of your case with you, and describe the steps that lay ahead in your case.
- IDCO panel attorneys are private attorneys who accept case appointments through the IDCO panel appointment system pursuant to California Penal Code 987.2(e).
- IDCO panel attorneys are private attorneys with their own individual private practices.
- IDCO panel attorneys are the attorney of record on their own cases once appointed through IDCO.
- IDCO panel attorneys are not employees of IDCO or Los Angeles County.
- IDCO panel attorneys are not paid by IDCO, but rather through the Los Angeles County Superior Court PACE Online Billing Portal, or ePACE, accessed here.
- IDCO panel attorneys are paid for two types of work.
- Duty Day Per Diem:
- Duty Days are prescheduled days during which an assigned attorney is available in a particular courthouse to accept cases on behalf of IDCO, appear on IDCO cases requiring reassignment, and other related tasks.
- Hourly Billing for Casework:
- IDCO panel attorneys are paid an hourly rate determined by the complexity grade of the case assignment.
Adult Rates
(7/1/23-Present)
| GRADE | HOURLY RATE |
| Misdemeanor | $100.00 |
| Grade 1 | $107.00 |
| Grade 2 | $114.00 |
| Grade 3 | $124.00 |
| Grade 4 | $140.00 |
| Sexual Violent Predator (SVP) | $154.00 |
| Witness Attorney | Bill at underlying case’s grade level |
| LPS | $165.00 |
| AOT | $124.00 |
| CARE Court | $124.00 |
| Mental Health | $165.00 |
| OTHER | NON-HOURLY RATE |
| Per Diem (for all grades) | $263.00 (half-day)/ $502.00 (full-day) |
| Early Disposition (EDP) Per Case (not hourly) | $307.00 |
| Capital Case (special circumstance cases) | Pursuant to MOU dated 12/13/2023 |
Juvenile Rates
(7/1/23-Present)
| HOURLY RATE | |
| Juvenile | $124.00 |
| NON-HOURLY RATE | |
| Per Diem | $502.00 (full day) |
- Misdemeanors:
- All cases involving solely misdemeanor charges and no felonies.
- Grade I Cases:
- All felonies not designated as Grade II, III, IV or V type charge up to a 7-year maximum sentence.
- Grade II Cases:
- Felonies from 8 to 14 years maximum sentence.
- Grade III Cases:
- Generally, felonies from 15 to 24 years maximum sentence.
- Postconviction matters pursuant to 1172.7/1172.75 (SB483)
- Grade IV Cases:
- Generally, 25 years and life cases.
- All cases in which a third strike is alleged (P.C. 667).
- All non-special circumstance murder cases.
- All complex crimes involving protracted litigation.
- Postconviction matters pursuant to 1172.7/1172.75 (SB483)
- Grade V Cases:
- P.C. 187 with special circumstances.
- Juvenile Delinquency Cases:
- IDCO Juvenile Panel Attorneys represent youth charged with both misdemeanor and felony offenses in juvenile delinquency court.
- These cases are paid at the Grade III rate and require specialized Juvenile training and experience.
- Postconviction Relief Cases:
- IDCO Postconviction Panel Attorneys handle Habeas, Franklin, and resentencing matters pursuant to 1172.1, 1172.6, 1172.7/1172.75 (SB483), and 1170(d)(1).
- These cases are paid at the Grade IV Rate and require specialized training and experience.
- Adult Criminal Mental Health Court Cases:
- IDCO Panel Attorneys handle mental health cases in Dept. 95, 95A, and 95B.
- These cases are paid at $150/hr and require specialized training and experience.
- Adult Criminal SVP Cases:
- IDCO Panel Attorneys handle sexually violent predator cases.
- These cases are paid at $154/hr and require specialized training and experience.
- Civil Contempt Cases:
- IDCO Panel Attorneys handle civil contempt issues in civil court.
- These cases are paid at $117/hr and require specialized training and experience.
- Family Law Contempt Cases:
- IDCO Panel Attorneys handle contempt issues in family court.
- These cases are paid at $117/hr and required specialized training and experience.
- California CARE Court Cases:
- IDCO CARE Court Panel Attorneys handle cases involving California Care Courts.
- These cases are paid at $124/hr and require specialized training and experience.
IDCO Panel Attorney Grade Levels are determined based on background, training, and experience at the time of the application review. Existing IDCO panel attorneys may seek a grade level promotion.
Please complete and submit IDCO Attorney Application found at the following link: IDCO Application .