The House Courts & Criminal Code Committee heard Rep. Washburne’s HB 1405 increasing the amount of public defense reimbursements that may be requested by a county auditor for indigent defense services in noncapital cases from 40% to 50% and extending the coverage to include services provided in misdemeanor cases. The bill also provides monies from the state general fund may be used to reimburse certified claims made to the public defense fund.
The bill was amended by consent to remove the requirement that capital cases are given priority for reimbursement claims. Representatives from the Association of Indiana Counties, the Indiana Public Defender Council, the Indiana Public Defender Commission, the Marion County Public Defender Agency, and the Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County testified in support of the bill. The amended bill passed 8-0.
Read the bill at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2017/bills/house/1405