HB658 Summary

• Creates the Alabama Indigent Defense Commission as an independent judicial branch agency with 13 members appointed by various state officials, judges, and bar associations to oversee indigent defense services statewide.

• Establishes the Office of Indigent Defense Services under the commission's direction, headed by a director responsible for implementing indigent defense systems, allocating funds, and approving compensation for appointed counsel, contract counsel, and public defenders.

• Increases hourly compensation rates for appointed counsel: $85/hour for noncapital cases and $100/hour for capital cases at trial level; $85/hour for noncapital appeals and $100/hour for capital appeals; and raises fee caps for various felony categories and juvenile cases.

• Creates an Indigent Defense Advisory Board in each judicial circuit composed of five members to advise on and vote on indigent defense delivery methods, with power to recommend systems to the statewide commission.

• Establishes minimum funding levels for indigent defense services in each judicial circuit based on five-year historical expenditures and requires these funds be paid from the Fair Trial Tax Fund and General Fund; repeals prior local circuit-based administration of indigent defense.