Update on Payments to Court-Appointed Appellate Counsel: Claims Transmitted to AOC on Friday, June 19, and Received by the AOC on Monday, June 22, Included Among Those to be Paid by Warrant.
July 2, 2009

Today, July 2, 2009, Marcia Taylor of the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) emailed the Projects with updated information about the status of payments for court-appointed appellate counsel:

"We have just found out that claims that were submitted to our office from June 22 forward are scheduled to be paid by registered warrants. Here is what happened: the court-appointed counsel budget ran out of funds the week of June 15. Because we had been advised by the Department of Finance that our request for deficiency funds to cover the unfunded expenses in fiscal year 08-09 had been approved, but the money would not be received until sometime in July, we asked permission to borrow money internally from other courts of appeal funds with the promise to repay it when we receive the deficiency funds. This transaction was not approved until late on June 24. Claims received by the AOC from June 22 through June 24 were transmitted to SCO along with the June 26 claims, with the assurance from the SCO that the claims would be paid by check. As you know, the SCO subsequently changed its position, so all the claims submitted during the week of June 22 will now be paid by warrant. "Thanks for your understanding, and my apologies for this situation."

Addendum from the appellate projects:

All the claims "submitted during the week of June 22" does not refer to when the claims were "submitted" by the panel attorneys to the projects or even when the claims were "transmitted" to the AOC by the projects. Rather, it refers to when the AOC would have transmitted the claims to the SCO. Thus, claims transmitted from the projects to the AOC on Friday night, June 19, and received by the AOC on Monday morning, June 22, would be included among those to be paid by warrant under this new timeline.

In light of the many recent changes, what payments will ultimately be made by check and what by warrant, as well as which banks and credit unions may cash the warrants, and when, all remain unpredictable at this time. The latest internet article we have found regarding payments by warrants and which institutions are accepting them, is from this morning's San Francisco Chronicle here, which has a question and answer section. :

We will continue to pass on any information we receive during this difficult period.

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