Augusta has spent more than $217,000 with two west Augusta law firms this year but is refusing to say why.
The Augusta Press requested invoices submitted over the last six months by the two related firms, Frails & Wilson P.C. and Lyons, Jones & Frails L.L.C. Both are primarily known in Augusta government for representing Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree.
Augusta’s public information officer responded a few days later with a dozen invoices totaling more than $217,000. About two-thirds came from Lyons, Jones & Frails.
On the invoices, the name of every case for which the firms billed the city was redacted.
The city claimed the identities of cases are protected by attorney-client privilege. It referred questions about the redactions to Augusta Law Department, which prepared the open records response.
Local governments can’t hide the names or identification of legal matters from the public, said David Hudson, attorney for Georgia Press Association.
“The name or identification of the matter and the amount being charged should be public records. Those two items would not infringe upon any confidential communication to the client or the attorney,” Hudson said.
“What the city-county is paying in legal expenses for various projects is public information and cannot be withheld. It’s no different than what is being paid for computers, cars or gasoline,” he said.
What is visible on the invoices are tasks such as “review,” “research,” “draft” or “discuss” next to the redacted case or matter name. The largest single invoice was in January, when Lyons, Jones and Frails billed $30,716.
While each invoice states it’s for work done for the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, several of the matters don’t appear to be work for Sheriff Richard Roundtree.
In April, a Frails & Wilson invoice included $2,850 for three unidentified real estate closings and three commercial title opinions. A February Frails & Wilson invoice showed $5,517 for four title searches and three sets of “experts.”
Perhaps reflecting work for the Richmond County Tax Commissioner on a sheriff’s sale, a June invoice shows $3,900 for nine title opinions.
The city law department was founded in 2009 as an effort to in-source legal work rather than rely on outside attorneys, but it has never achieved that purpose. It currently has approximately seven staff attorneys.
