Cape County Commission considering prepaid legal services contract

County Clerk Kara Summers presented a proposal to the Cape Girardeau County Commission Monday for a prepaid legal services contract with the Missouri Association of Counties.

Summers said that services through MAC are used in many counties throughout the state and that MAC's legal staff has specific training and experience in advising counties. The $2,400 yearly contract would include 10 hours of prepaid service per month at a flat rate of $200 per month, which she said is much less costly than paying lawyers at an hourly rate.

Commissioner Jay Purcell said that the plan was initially attractive in cost and said he has had concerns about the current process of using the county's prosecuting attorney, Morley Swingle, for county legal advice. Summer said that she consulted with Swingle regarding the proposed contract and Swingle acknowledged the value of retaining specialized counsel.

Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy moved that the commission consider the request at least until the MAC meeting next week, where detailed questions might be asked. Summers asked for a swift decision, due to the need for legal advice in pressing county matters such as salary structuring.

The commission also acknowledged October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Det. Jamie Malugen of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department read the proclamation and was joined at the meeting by Capt. Ruth Ann Dickerson and members of Safe House for Women. It was signed by the commission "in recognition of the impact that domestic violence has on the health and well being of our community."

According to the proclamation, in 2010 there were 1,817 domestic violence calls reported to law enforcement in Cape Girardeau County and 41 domestic violence-related homicides statewide.

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