Indigent Defense Act

The act establishes a statewide system responsible for providing legal representation to criminal defendants who cannot afford counsel, governed by a board with rulemaking and oversight powers and administered by an executive director. It defines when the system must represent a defendant, how applicants qualify for representation, and how private attorneys are appointed and compensated when the system has a conflict of interest or is otherwise unavailable, including through contracts, fee schedules, and heightened compensation in capital cases. It also sets procedures for appeals and post-conviction representation — appointment deadlines, transfer of records and jurisdictional filings, and reassignment of cases — and creates dedicated revolving funds to pay the costs of representation.

Editorial summary generated from the text of this act. It is not part of the statute — read the sections below for the operative language.