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Assigned Counsel

Director: Carmen Purcell

The Office of Assigned Counsel ensures your constitutional right to counsel in a court proceeding for Criminal and Civil Contempt matters, when necessary to ensure procedural fairness. You have this right in any proceeding that may result in physical incarceration or when parental rights are at risk of being terminated in Dependency and Civil Guardianship matters.

The legislature finds that you should receive effective legal representation if you are Indigent or Indigent and Able to Contribute. This must be consistent with the constitutional requirements of fairness, equal protection, and due process in all cases where the right to counsel applies.

The Court has designated the Skagit County Office of Assigned Counsel as its designee to determine whether you are indigent under RCW 10.101.

The Office of Assigned Counsel screens you for eligibility for indigent defense services for Skagit County Superior Court, Skagit County District Court, and Anacortes Municipal Court.

Under RCW 10.101, the legislature finds that effective legal representation should be provided for indigent persons and persons who are indigent and able to contribute, consistent with the constitutional requirements of fairness, equal protection, and due process in all cases where right to counsel attaches.

A person must be looking at potential jail time to be entitled to a public defender for representation.

A determination of indigence shall be made for all persons wishing the appointment of counsel in Criminal cases, Dependency/Termination of parental rights, Civil Guardianship and Civil Contempt of court.
Counsel shall be provided to any person who is financially unable to obtain adequate representation without substantial hardship to the person or the person’s family.

The Office of Assigned Counsel follows the Federal Poverty Guidelines to determine eligibility for Public Defense services. 

Juveniles have the right to legal representation at no cost to them or their legal guardian when they face potential incarceration. 

If a person wants representation for all other civil court matters (divorce, parenting plans, paternity, small claims, etc.) they must hire a private attorney to help with the case or resolve the case without counsel. 

The Skagit County Office of Assigned Counsel shall evaluate and determine a person’s eligibility for court appointed counsel in accordance with the following standards:

  1. The determination of a person’s financial ability to retain counsel shall be made by considering the person’s income, savings, and liquid assets, as well as the person’s necessary expenses.
  2. The income, expenses and assets of the spouse (or partner domiciled with the defendant) shall be considered in determining the eligibility for court appointed counsel provided that:
    • There is no conflict of interest due to estrangement or other reasons and
    • It is likely that such income and assets will be readily available.
  3. The determination of eligibility shall be made in view of the lengthened complexity of the case and the estimated cost of obtaining competent representation for the particular offense(s) charged.
  4. The determination of a person’s ability to retain counsel shall be based upon an evaluation of that person’s financial condition from the time of screening until the expected time of trial.

The Public Defender's Office represents only people who meet a certain financial poverty guidelines. If you qualify for a public defender, an attorney will be appointed to represent you for your current case in Superior Court, District Court, and Anacortes Municipal Court.

Apply in person

You must apply in person at the Office of Assigned Counsel.

Walk-in only, no scheduled appointments.

Screening hours

Screening hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM.

Financial Documentation

Please bring any of the following required documents that apply to you.

  1. Any paperwork you receive from the court that has your case number and next hearing date.
  2. Verification of income:
    • Most recent pay stub from your employer
    • If you are married or living with a partner, you must also provide their income information.
    • Unemployment verification
    • Labor and Industries verification
    • Retirement pension
    • Filed tax information
    • If you are self-employed, bring your most recent tax statement and bank statement for the past 3 months.
  3. Verification of any public assistance you or your partner receive, such as Food Stamps (EBT), State Medical, Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) cash benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) information, or United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits.
  4. Proof of expenses, such as medical or dental costs, rent or mortgage, utilities, child support or daycare, vehicle payments, collection agencies, and other monthly living expenses.
  5. Bank statements for all bank accounts, including checking and savings.

When to Re-Apply

You must re-apply for public defender representation each time you are charged with a new offense. You must also re-apply each time you quash a warrant and receive a new court date.

Questions

If you have any questions, you can call the Office of Assigned Counsel at (360) 416-1690.

Juveniles have the right to legal representation when they face the possibility of incarceration. A parent/guardian may hire a private attorney to represent the juvenile. If you cannot afford to hire an attorney, a public defender can be appointed at no cost to you. 

If the juvenile defendant needs a public defender assigned to their case, you must contact the Office of Assigned Counsel at: (360)416-1690.

If a defendant has a warrant out of Skagit County District or Anacortes Municipal Court, they should contact the court directly to find out if they are able to quash their warrant(s).

Skagit County District Court: (360)416-1250
districtcourt@skagitcountywa.gov 

Anacortes Municipal Court: (360)293-1913
court@anacorteswa.gov 

If the warrant is non-quashable, they may contact our office to see if they qualify for a public defender to help with their warrant(s).

For Skagit County Superior Court warrants (Adult Felony or Juvenile warrants), they may contact our office to see if they qualify for a public defender to help them quash their warrant(s).

Office of Assigned Counsel: (360)416-1690
assignedcounsel@skagitcountywa.gov 

The Office of Assigned Counsel contracts with private attorneys to represent clients who have a conflict of interest with the Skagit County Public Defender's Office.

When the Public Defender's Office is unable to represent a client because of a conflict of interest, our office appoints an attorney from our conflict attorney panel to provide legal representation for that case.

Private attorneys interested in being considered for our conflict attorney panel may contact the Director of The Office of Assigned Counsel for additional information

Carmen Purcell, Director: carmenp@skagitcountywa.gov 

Federal Poverty Guidelines

Promissory Notes

Online Payments

You can make online payments for public defender attorney fees for Skagit County Superior Court or Skagit County District Court only through LexisNexis, a payment-processing center. LexisNexis will charge you a convenience fee for this service.

Click the link below and select "Skagit County OAC Payments" to follow prompts for payment.

Pay Here

Online Promissory Note Payments for

Skagit County Superior and District Courts

Pay Here

Contact Us

Assigned Counsel
Carmen Purcell, Director
Aileen Gonzalez, Staff Assistant
Liz Trujillo, Office Assistant

205 W. Kincaid
Suite 301
Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Office Hours
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Closed Daily: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

(360) 416-1690

assignedcounsel@
skagitcountywa.gov