Hearing Officers

The Commonwealth of Kentucky, Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, Department of Juvenile Justice, issued a Request for Proposal on May 14, 2020, seeking qualified attorneys to serve as hearing officers providing legal services on a personal service contract basis across eight counties including Adair County. The RFP seeks multiple contractors to conduct probable cause hearings for youth detained on Commissioner's Warrants and supervised placement revocation hearings pursuant to Kentucky statutes, with services required at detention facilities and community offices statewide. Qualified applicants must hold Kentucky bar licensure in good standing, possess demonstrated legal practice experience, and provide hearing officer experience documentation via resume submission along with three professional references. Probable cause hearings must be scheduled within five business days of detention, while supervised placement revocation hearings must occur within ten business days thereafter, unless continuances are requested. Evaluation criteria totaling 165 points include qualifications and experience (70 points), county coverage capability (maximum 35 points), availability under prescribed timeframes (30 points), professional references (30 points), and optional oral presentations (up to 15 points). Proposals were due by 4:00 PM Eastern Time on May 28, 2020, submitted in sealed hard copy format with accompanying digital copies on flash drives, with no offerors' conference held prior to submission.

The initial contract term runs from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2022, with the Commonwealth reserving the right to renew for up to two additional two-year periods subject to approval by the Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet and the Legislative Research Commission Government Contract Review Committee. Compensation is fixed at $100 per hour, including travel time, with no guarantee of minimum work hours, and partial hour increments compensated proportionally at one-half or one-quarter rates. No set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise preferences, or resident bidder restrictions are specifically mentioned in the procurement documentation. Incumbent vendor information indicates multiple vendors previously received awards of $20,000 each under the existing contract structure. All contractors must comply with Kentucky procurement statutes, regulations, and applicable state and federal civil rights laws throughout the contract term, with final contract execution requiring approval by the Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet and filing with the Legislative Research Commission prior to effectiveness.