[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6680552,"mediaKeyId","2171456-afcf52c93619831befde4458aeed0c9b","parentId",2171456,"title","Trustees unanimously approve pay-plan moves, hiring and policy items; place performance evaluation on next agenda","audioSeconds",2,"startMs",66,"endMs",2230,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171456-afcf52c93619831befde4458aeed0c9b&start=0&end=2","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171456-afcf52c93619831befde4458aeed0c9b/thumbnail_66.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6680552/Trustees-unanimously-approve-pay-plan-moves-hiring-and-policy-items-place-performance-evaluation-on-next-agenda","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6680552-e906deba43b94f1ee3b5c90229826841/orig.mp4?Expires=1771061720&Signature=eCZl9r1g~dxVzU--tESzPcEeCu0XIxJsnCPiL2er5r6MdmDGPf3aQK1CV6il9MLRpi3tS-iQhI71fokf2cbBCgzsQxW4fvSADTc-YHAz4QBxrSdbfS0akoNtJQyHpd3Lrx15mVs4E50hh78ZzZFtofVIBQUpzUn9iLsl4Kujd5dnh0K14r82QnX5jZuHZlpy81OZq8L2xHHIAB1~~Wgj87CHdqgYUHpt-lAm~Kfko3dzYHqMYMqK3IytOOnaON1MogkNsNqdisoqmLXrlnCivPR3NF3MjqTcAFhNVjcOQ~3mMGqXPVrjmFF~kCTXotkIRu3IhmOkRJQF-xrZtzhiyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Guam - Public Defender Service Corporation","date","2025-01-01T05:04:33.527Z","article","At its Tuesday, Dec. 31 meeting the Public Defender Board of Trustees approved several personnel and policy items by unanimous voice vote and directed staff to bring one outstanding personnel evaluation back on to the agenda for formal action.

Minutes: The board approved the minutes of the previous meeting. The board recorded that the motion to approve the minutes was made by Board member Donna R. Muniakonathan and seconded by Board member Christiana S. Whitman; there were no objections.

Executive director compensation: Trustees voted unanimously to adjust the executive director’s salary-calculation basis to an attorney pay plan placement (Attorney 5, Step 10) effective Jan. 1, 2025, with the position remaining unclassified and with no retroactive pay. Language in the motion specified the shift in pay-plan calculation and that the executive director would retain unclassified status; board members said the change preserves easier placement if the director later returns to a full-time attorney role.

Civil Law Center resolution (needs assessment): The board considered a final civil-moratorium resolution that had been prepared earlier. Trustees noted the resolution had been approved in a prior meeting and performed a final review of the wording. The board adopted an amendment to the resolution’s final “resolved” clause so that the Civil Law Center (CLC) “shall submit its needs assessment on priority legal services for determination by the Board of Trustees.” With that amendment the board voted to approve the resolution for signature.

Donated-leave bank policy: Trustees voted unanimously to adopt the donated leave bank policy as amended at the meeting. Board members agreed that a single approving official should be designated; the policy language was clarified to place approval authority with the executive director (or the managing attorney/APD in his absence) to avoid dual-signoff confusion.

Administrative director recruitment and compensation: The board approved hiring a recommended candidate for the administrative-director position at an S-10 pay step with an annual salary of $119,633. Trustees also amended the resolution to authorize the Public Defender Service Corporation to use any lapse funds available in its budget to cover the difference between the budgeted amount (previously approved at $112,388) and the proposed S-10 salary. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote.

Above-step recruitment/step improvement for returning staff: The board approved an above-step placement for a returning employee (discussion identified the hire as a lateral placement from the Attorney General’s Office who had been on LTA/grant-funded status). Trustees said the appointment will align the employee’s pay with prior step entitlements; the motion passed unanimously.

Performance-evaluation resolution for the managing attorney: Trustees acknowledged a resolution concerning the managing attorney’s completed performance evaluation that was not included on the published agenda and therefore could not be acted on at the meeting. The board voted to place that resolution on the agenda within the next four weeks for formal consideration and signature.

All of the foregoing personnel and policy votes were recorded as unanimous in the meeting transcript when members responded “aye.”","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Public Defender Service Corporation Board of Trustees Meeting - December 31, 2024","oneSentenceSummary","At its Dec. 31 meeting the Public Defender Board of Trustees voted unanimously to adopt several personnel and policy resolutions, including moving the executive director to an attorney pay plan, approving an administrative-director recruitment at a higher pay step with budget adjustments, adopting a donated-leave policy and amending a Civil Law Center resolution.","taxTitle","Public Defender Service Corporation, Agencies, Executive , Guam","taxId",18963,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6680555,"Public Defender trustees review allotments, caseloads and rollout issues for new bus-pass law",1,83,1093,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171456-afcf52c93619831befde4458aeed0c9b&start=0&end=1","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171456-afcf52c93619831befde4458aeed0c9b/thumbnail_83.jpg","/articles/6680555/Public-Defender-trustees-review-allotments-caseloads-and-rollout-issues-for-new-bus-pass-law","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6680555-1631da2ca3bd2a781a8f4290f09d8a22/orig.mp4?Expires=1771061720&Signature=Y2hm2ypjlwIeSDdTVHMkBZXMwe-IRCBlVaDH~3o3Sf9IyGnUAdEG2P-SDXFnbAVWjZJPhrzuzvUrt5CkE75ewvfqEsBeXDkwS~lUa5oGAhpdWCauI103-UIjc8XYkVENcbJPAlB5hzoX1LjH4bHIv-JfLRUWF1Qa0mp1SVLNKCgi7z8pYKpu7x-~j6Nvk1e8qWXTW0~GLiFxjT0wh9i7T6bp7YJn06Xlss21Cu7OIMsmGaNyOT575yVRs9VXRuF6rmOw6SkcC5PkrQQIMO-aPKTxyMkPj0v~2yuAaMQakWfcAYr9ujjL1cszS6VtMAZYWYSfFvUXH2ATkc72Ox8NBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Public Defender Board of Trustees met Tuesday, Dec. 31, and heard fiscal and operational updates showing recent allotments to the Public Defender Service Corporation (PDSC), a snapshot of pretrial case volumes and early data on electronic monitoring and on-the-ground implementation issues with a recently enacted bus-pass law.

Fiscal staff reported that PDSC received November–December allotments totaling $1,367,776 and that the agency overall is operating at about 90 percent of budgeted levels (APD at about 91 percent). The fiscal report noted several program-specific funding items and outstanding invoices; staff said some contract payments from the Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) remain unpaid and that ARPA funds would be used until exhausted before drawing on some released funds. The fiscal officer provided program-level inflow figures for several grants and stated that invoices for two programs had not yet been paid by the agencies responsible.

Board members were also briefed on caseloads and pretrial indicators. Executive Attorney Mr. Torres reported about 1,992 “prejudgment” cases on the office’s docket and provided courtroom-level status flags intended to show pretrial status. Staff presented electronic-monitoring application data for 2024 through mid-December: 92 applications were filed, 27 were marked eligible, 40 were marked ineligible by the operations office, 25 remained pending and 33 monitoring requests had been granted; 14 were denied. Staff said those numbers cover mainly pretrial registrations.

Board members discussed early implementation of a public law passed roughly two months ago that authorizes distribution of bus passes to individuals who need them to access public services. Mr. Torres said the law designates several agencies to serve as distribution points — including the judiciary and the Department of Public Health and Social Services — and that recipients are generally to receive three bus passes to attend court, apply for benefits or reach required appointments. Board members and staff noted the law had been implemented without dedicated funding; Guam Regional Transit (GRTA) staff and PDSC planned a follow-up meeting to work out distribution guidelines and funding logistics. Mr. Torres told the board that the transit agency ships passes in batches and that there does not appear to be a statutory cap on the number of passes but that the program could become overwhelmed without clear eligibility rules.

Several trustees requested that the public defender and APD compile a tally or census of clients receiving bus passes so the board and probation can monitor whether distribution is meeting need-based criteria. Trustees emphasized that a request for a bus pass does not itself prove lack of other transportation and that guidelines should prevent automatic issuance without basic verification of need.

Carol, the Civil Law Center representative, reported program-level activity for the Elder Justice Center and related services. She said the Elder Justice Center recorded 93 cases in October–November 2024 compared with 97 cases for the same months in 2023, and that the center has begun community outreach in senior centers. Carol said the CLC signed memoranda of understanding with the University of Guam social work and criminal justice programs to pilot a senior legal clinic and to involve students in court-appointed guardian and paralegal supports.

Board members had no further questions on the fiscal report and operational statistics; multiple staff and trustees said follow-up reports would be provided at the next meeting to clarify unpaid invoices, grant billing status and the bus-pass distribution plan.","At its Dec. 31 meeting the Public Defender Board heard fiscal updates showing $1,367,776 in November–December allotments, reviewed pretrial and program statistics and discussed implementation problems with a recently passed bus-pass law that provides limited transit support for clients.","actionData","errors"]

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Trustees unanimously approve pay-plan moves, hiring and policy items; place performance evaluation on next agenda

Public Defender trustees review allotments, caseloads and rollout issues for new bus-pass law