Magnus

Appellant appeals from an order of the superior court denying his petition in mandate to compel respondent to pay him $1,616.91 for-legal services rendered in representing two indigent criminal defendants.

Appellant, an attorney, was appointed by the superior court on two occasions to represent indigent criminal defendants. He handled each case through sentencing. By reason of “inadvertence and neglect” he did not file with the court a statement of his services until approximately 4½ months after completion of his services. The court fixed the reasonable value thereof in the amounts of $746.91 and $870. Upon presentation to respondent of his claims for payment, the claims were rejected on the ground that they were not timely filed within the one-year period as provided in Government Code section 911.2.

The question is whether appellant is entitled to payment from the county for his services as fixed by the court, even though he failed to file his claims with the county within one year from the date of the last service performed. We hold that he is.

Government Code section 911.2 provides that a claim relating to any cause of action (other than for death or for injury to…