Conflict Public Defender Services

The County is issuing this RFQ to solicit statements of qualification (“SOQs”) from qualified attorneys and law firms who demonstrate the qualifications described below. The applicants’ qualifications which will be used as the basis for determining which attorney or law firm will be recommended to the Board of Supervisors to be selected as CPDs.

The attorney(s) or firm(s) to be selected shall perform all of the duties of a public defender described in Chapter 13 of Division 2, Title 3 of the California Government Code, commencing with Section 27700, as well as certain other duties and services specified herein and in the proposed form of CPD contract that is attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference as Exhibit B (the “Contract”), for indigent adult persons in Napa County when the Napa County Public Defender has declared a conflict of interest, has a conflict of interest as established or declared by a court, or is otherwise unavailable for good cause.

Napa County (“County”) is requesting the submittal of statements of qualifications from attorneys or law firms who are interested in providing general and complex criminal legal defense services as a Conflict Public Defender (“CPD”). The County maintains a panel of five CPD’s who provide criminal legal defense services to indigent defendants when the Public Defender has declared a conflict. The County is seeking to fill one or more of the five contracts at this time.

Attorney shall provide County with the following services:

When the Public Defender has declared or the Superior Court has established a conflict of interest on the part of the Public Defender, which is thus unable to represent an indigent person accused in Napa County of criminal charges, or when ordered by the Court, Attorney shall serve as a CPD for that person and perform all the duties of a public defender described in Chapter 13 of Division 2, Title 3 of the California Government Code (commencing with Section 27700), as well as certain other duties specified in this Agreement. The duties and functions described below will be assigned by the Coordinator of the CPD program on a rotational basis among Attorney and four other CPD Attorney Attorneys, with each being required to handle approximately one-fifth (1/5) of the adult cases assigned to conflict counsel.

• Attorney shall defend, without expense to the defendant except as provided by Section 987.8 of the Penal Code or similar statutes, any person who is not financially able to employ counsel and who is charged with the commission of any criminal contempt or offense triable in the Napa Superior Court at all stages of the proceedings including the preliminary examination. [...]
• Attorney shall represent any person who is not financially able to employ counsel in proceedings under Division 4 (commencing with Section 1400) of the Probate Code, and Part 1 of Division 5 (commencing with Section 5000), and Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 6 (commencing with Section 6500) of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
• Attorney shall represent any indigent person in proceedings brought pursuant to Sections 601, 602 or other applicable provisions of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
• Attorney shall represent indigent persons, including witnesses, in police lineups, in pre-statement counseling and revocation hearings. [...]
• Attorney shall represent indigent persons in paternity proceedings.
• Attorney shall participate in eligibility screening (as to the accused’s indigent status and financial eligibility for representation without charge by the CPD) and obtain such financial statements as may be required by County and shall cooperate with any County department involved in such activities to the extent ethically possible. [...]
• Attorney shall represent multiple defendants, when necessary, in a single action to the extent ethically possible.
• If the Agreement is terminated mid-term, or if the end of the Agreement’s term is reached without being automatically extended [...], Attorney shall complete any trial, the date of which is set prior to the end of the Agreement’s term or prior to the effective date of termination of the Agreement but which is a trial date after the end of the Agreement’s term or after the date of termination of the Agreement.

If Attorney performs the following additional duties, they shall be at no additional cost to County.

• Represent defendants in appeals or reviews by a superior court judge.
• Initiate applications for extraordinary writs, file all appropriate writs and notices of appeals.

The attorney or law firm serving as Coordinator of CPD Services shall distribute cases on a rotational basis to all contracted CPDs, reassigning cases when a CPD declares a conflict and ensuring that cases are distributed as equitably as possible. Cases shall be assigned within two business days of receipt from the Napa County Superior Court or the Napa Public Defender’s Office.

**Submit Electronic Responses via the County's e-Procurement Portal** https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofnapa.

The deadline for submission of qualifications in response to this RFQ is **5:00 pm on Friday, November 6, 2026**. Late submittals will not be accepted or considered.

It is the sole responsibility of the respondent to ensure that they obtain information related to any Addenda, and acknowledge any and all Addenda electronically in the e-Procurement Portal as part of their Response. Failure to do so will result in rejection of the response.

The CPD contract will have an initial term from January 1, 2027, through June 30, 2027. The terms of the contract will then automatically renew for a full fiscal year (July 1 through June 30 of the next year) at the end of the initial term and at the end of each fiscal year thereafter unless notice of non-renewal is given or unless the contract is previously terminated under its terms.

Attorney shall obtain and maintain general liability insurance of not less than **$1,000,000** combined single limit per occurrence, professional liability insurance of not less than **$1,000,000** per claim, and comprehensive automobile liability insurance of not less than **$1,000,000** combined single limit per occurrence.

Interviews: November 13, 2026. Notification of Intent to Award: December 7, 2026.