Clallam County Boosts Public Defense Funding Under New Contract

The county will pay the Clallam Public Defender over $2.3 million this year, a 3% increase, to meet new workload limits.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 7:51pm

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Clallam County is preparing to increase spending on indigent defense, with a new contract boosting funding as tighter workload limits take effect. Under the proposal, the county would pay the Clallam Public Defender just over $2.3 million this year — a roughly 3% increase. Officials say the increase helps keep public defender pay in line with prosecutors, while also meeting new case-weighting and caseload standards that limit how many cases attorneys can handle.

Why it matters

The new contract and increased funding aim to ensure Clallam County's public defense system can meet higher standards for caseloads and workloads, which are intended to improve the quality of legal representation for low-income defendants. This is an important step in upholding the constitutional right to counsel.

The details

The new contract would run through the end of 2026 and apply retroactively to January 1st. It also allows the county to revisit the agreement if caseloads shift, giving flexibility to adjust staffing if needed. Public Defender Director Harry Gasnick says current staffing should meet demand under the new limits, assuming case filings hold steady and positions remain filled.

  • The new contract would run through the end of 2026.
  • The contract would apply retroactively to January 1, 2026.

The players

Clallam Public Defender

The organization that provides legal representation for low-income defendants in Clallam County.

Mark Lane

The Clallam County Chief Financial Officer.

Harry Gasnick

The Director of the Clallam Public Defender.

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What they’re saying

“'Happy to report that where we ended up on this contract ended up fitting in slightly below the placeholder amount that we had in our 2026 budget. So it's about thirty-one thousand dollars less than anticipated in the budget, so no budget change.'”

— Mark Lane, Clallam County Chief Financial Officer

“'Our contracted staff and levels should be able to meet the overall needs of the county, assuming filing and charging levels remain the same. That, of course, assumes that we're able to maintain full staff — and I lost an employee, tomorrow is the last day.'”

— Harry Gasnick, Director of the Clallam Public Defender

What’s next

The Clallam County Commissioners will vote on approving the new public defense contract at their next meeting.

The takeaway

Clallam County is taking proactive steps to ensure its public defense system can meet higher standards for caseloads and workloads, which is an important step in upholding the constitutional right to counsel for low-income defendants. The increased funding will help keep public defender pay competitive and allow the system to operate within new limits, though staffing challenges remain a concern.