The state board of indigents’ defense services shall:

(a) Provide, supervise and coordinate, in the most efficient and economical manner possible, the constitutionally and statutorily required counsel and related services for each indigent person accused of a felony and for such other indigent persons as prescribed by statute;

Terms Used In Kansas Statutes 22-4522

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
  • Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Kansas Statutes 77-201
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.

(b) establish, in each county or combination of counties designated by the board, a system of appointed counsel, contractual arrangements for providing contract counsel or public defender offices, or any combination thereof, on a full- or part-time basis, for the delivery of legal services for indigent persons accused of felonies;

(c) approve an annual operating budget for the board and submit that budget as provided in Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-3717, and amendments thereto;

(d) collect payments from indigent defendants as ordered by the court by methods including, but not limited to, utilization of debt collection procedures authorized by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-6201 et seq., and amendments thereto;

(e) adopt rules and regulations in accordance with Kan. Stat. Ann. § 77-415 et seq., and amendments thereto, which are necessary for the operation of the board and the performance of its duties and for the guidance of appointed counsel, contract counsel and public defenders, including, but not limited to:

(1) Standards for entitlement to legal representation at public expense;

(2) standards and guidelines for compensation of appointed counsel and investigative, expert and other services within the limits of appropriations;

(3) criteria for employing contract counsel;

(4) qualifications, standards and guidelines for public defenders, appointed counsel and contract counsel; and

(5) adopt and maintain reimbursement tables which set forth the cost to the board of indigents’ defense services for each separate category of service provided;

(f) prepare and submit to the governor and legislature an annual report on the operations of the board; and

(g) hold a hearing before changing the system for providing legal services for indigent persons accused of felonies in any county or judicial district if such a hearing is requested by two or more members of the board.