DATE: July 13, 2021
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Jean M. Rousseau, County Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Confirm Appointment of the Public Defender
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Confirm appointment of Antoinette Taillac, effective July 26, 2021, to the position of Public Defender pursuant Fresno County Charter Section 16.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will confirm Antoinette Taillac as the Public Defender. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board could choose to not confirm the appointment and the position will remain vacant.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Public Defender Org 2880 FY 2021-22 Recommended Budget and will be included in future budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
Pursuant to Section 16 of the Fresno County Charter, with your Board’s approval of the recommended action, the appointment of Antoinette Taillac to the position Public Defender by the County Administrative Officer will be confirmed. The appointment is pending the completion of the standard background check and would be effective July 26, 2021.
Antoinette Taillac has been serving as the Interim Public Defender since February 22, 2021 and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the position. She has served for more than 23 years in the Fresno County Public Defender’s Office. She has served in many capacities including the Supervising Attorney for the Juvenile Unit, Chief Defense Attorney for the Felony Unit, Chief Defense Attorney for the Paralegal Unit and Assistant Public Defender. For the past 3 years, while serving as the Assistant Public Defender, she provided oversight of planning, directing, and managing the day-to-day activities of the department.
Ms. Taillac’s accomplishments include co-founding the first Juvenile Delinquency Behavioral Health Court (BHC) in the Central Valley (and one of few statewide) which serves as model to evaluate juveniles for treatment and rehabilitation, focused on providing appropriate mental health counseling, family support services, educational services, victim safety, and enhanced supervision. Additionally, she co-founded the Community Justice Conferencing (CJC) Program, which is a restorative justice rehabilitation model for youth, supporting 1,000+ juveniles since 2009. She earned the 2019 Mentor of the Year Award from the Fresno County Public Defender’s Office and 2014 Comprehensive Youth Services (CYS) Child Advocacy Award for impactful contributions to Fresno youth, families, and community. Finally, Ms. Taillac streamlined operations and elevated performance after leading committee to develop first-ever official Policy & Procedural Manual for attorneys at Fresno County Public Defender’s Office
Ms. Taillac brings a depth of experience, relationships and contacts throughout the Criminal Justice System that will make her an effective Public Defender for Fresno County.
CAO ANALYST:
Raul Guerra