City of Washougal Indigent Defense Services

General work description:

The City of Washougal, Washington (“City”) is requesting proposals from qualified attorneys, law firms, nonprofit entities, or public agencies to provide primary public defense services for indigent persons entitled to court-appointed counsel in matters arising from City of Washougal misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor prosecutions. The City intends to select a provider capable of delivering independent, effective, client-centered representation in compliance with applicable constitutional requirements, Chapter 10.101 RCW, the Washington Rules of Professional Conduct, CrRLJ 3.1, the Washington Supreme Court Standards for Indigent Defense, and other applicable law and court rules.

The current agreement expires December 31, 2026. The City seeks a provider with sufficient attorney capacity, supervision, support services, and administrative systems to meet applicable public defense standards throughout the new agreement, including phased caseload changes.

The City of Washougal is an optional code city located in Clark County, Washington. Public defense services are provided for eligible defendants charged with misdemeanor and/or gross misdemeanor offenses under City ordinances or applicable state law within the City’s jurisdiction.

Washougal matters are heard in the Camas-Washougal Municipal Court, located at 89 C Street, Washougal, Washington 98671. Court administration is provided through the shared Camas-Washougal Municipal Court arrangement. The selected provider must be able to appear for all calendars, hearings, trials, and other proceedings required for Washougal cases, whether conducted in person or remotely as authorized by the Court.

The City’s available historical workload figure is 131 cases for calendar year 2025. This figure is provided for planning only; it is not a guarantee of assignments, an attorney caseload limit, or a representation that historical counts equal case credits under current standards. A detailed breakdown of case types, conflicts, trials, and calendar frequency is not included in this RFP. Proposers shall identify assumptions and request additional information through OpenGov. Any supplemental workload or calendar information will be made available to all proposers by written response or addendum.