A state-appointed commission has launched a formal investigation into Joanna Landau, the new executive director of Colorado’s Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel, after weeks of complaints from contract attorneys about her early tenure. The review follows a packed public meeting and a flood of written comments accusing Landau of abrupt cost-cutting moves and management changes that contractors say have battered morale and complicated already demanding defense work. Landau has told reporters she welcomes the scrutiny as the agency revamps its billing and administrative systems.
As reported by The Denver Post, the nine-member commission said it will dig into the allegations and issue written findings when the review wraps up. The paper noted that more than 200 people showed up to a public meeting on May 22, and nearly two dozen speakers told commissioners they had seen what they described as a culture shift inside the agency since Landau took over. The probe is the latest public test of how Colorado manages court-appointed conflict counsel and its vast network of contractors.
Agency Size And Role
The Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel steps in statewide when the Office of the State Public Defender has a conflict, relying on private attorneys and contract staff to take those cases. As outlined in ADC’s SMART Act report to the Joint Judiciary Committee, available from the Colorado General Assembly, the agency reports about 41 full-time employees and more than 1,200 contractors, including attorneys, investigators, paralegals, and social workers who handle most of the courtroom work across Colorado. With so much of the representation coming from contractors, shifts in billing, staffing, or contracting rules can ripple quickly into day-to-day case work.
Contractors Say Culture Shift
Contracted attorneys who spoke at public meetings and in interviews told commissioners they felt new pressure after Landau began a cost-control and billing overhaul, and some described a “culture of fear” inside the office, according to The Denver Post. Landau has told reporters that under her watch, the office has improved how quickly it pays contractors, pointing out that between November and mid-February, about 97% of invoices were paid within 30 days, and she has acknowledged splitting her time between Colorado and Utah while noting that hiring staff were aware of that arrangement. Even so, contractors say fast-moving policy changes and new billing rules have strained relationships and raised fresh questions about how cases will be staffed and paid.
What The Commission Can Do
Colorado law sets up the ADC oversight commission and gives it authority to appoint or, for cause, remove the alternate defense counsel and to adopt procedures for hiring, evaluation and complaints, per C.R.S. § 21-2-101 as published on Justia. The agency’s own records show long-running leadership before the current shake-up: Lindy Frolich led the Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel for roughly 20 years before Landau’s appointment, according to budget records from the Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel. Commissioners have said the goal of the review is to investigate the complaints and produce written findings, not to make immediate personnel decisions at the outset.
The commission has not set a public deadline for finishing its probe. Landau has maintained that she followed legal and human-resources protocols in personnel decisions and that the office is pressing ahead with an overhaul of its billing system. Officials say the commission’s written findings will be released once the review is complete. Those conclusions are likely to be watched closely by contract attorneys, court officials, and lawmakers who fund the agency and depend on its conflict-counsel work.
