Opinion ID: 1890995
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Review of the Allowance Made for Services

Text: The record before use consists only of Mr. Conway's application and statement of services, the statements of the present and former district attorneys and the remarks of the court in making its decision. Judge BEILFUSS, of course, had the benefit of his observation and recollection of the trial. We do not have the transcript of the trial before us. We think that in matters of this kind, it would be good practice, where the attorney has submitted a record of time expended, but where the judge bases the allowance upon a conclusion that part of the time was unnecessarily or unproductively expended, that the judge record his reasons for such conclusion. We would have preferred a more-specific statement in the case before us, although we do not consider the absence thereof as ground for reversal. It seems to us that the responsibility must rest primarily upon the trial court and that the proper test for review on appeal is whether the record demonstrates that the allowance made by the court was clearly unreasonable. [4] The circuit court considered that this trial should have consumed no more than five weeks, or 30 days of trial, sessions having been held six days per week. Tested against the State Bar minimum fees of $150 per day for trial of criminal cases and $18 per hour for consultation and office work, the allowance of $6,500 is sufficient to cover the 30 days of trial, and 111 hours outside of trial. Mr. Conway indicated willingness to accept $100 per day for trial time and $15 per hour for other work. We are advised, for example, that the executive committee of the Dane County Bar Association has recommended to Dane county lawyers who may be appointed as counsel that they submit bills on the basis of two thirds of the normal fees. Although the indigency of the defendant is not a proper reason for reducing the quality of the services, the certainty of payment out of the public treasury suggests that some discount of the rates of charge is reasonable. At a rate of $100 per day for trial and $12 for other work, $6,500 would cover the five weeks of trial plus 292 hours outside of trial. We are unable to find the allowance clearly unreasonable.