New Mexico Statutes 31-15-2.4. Public defender commission; powers and duties;
restriction on individual member.
Terms Used In New Mexico Statutes 31-15-2.4
- Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
- Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
A. The commission shall exercise independent oversight of the department, set representation standards for the department and provide guidance and support to the chief in the administration of the department and the representation of indigent persons pursuant to the Public Defender Act.
B. The commission shall develop fair and consistent standards for the operation of the department and the provision of services pursuant to the Public Defender Act, including standards relating to:
(1) the minimum experience, training and qualifications for appointed, contract and staff attorneys in both adult and juvenile cases in coordination with the state personnel office;
(2) monitoring and evaluating appointed, contract and staff attorneys; (3) ethically responsible caseload and workload levels and workload monitoring protocols for staff attorneys, contract attorneys and district defender offices;
(4) the competent and efficient representation of clients whose cases present conflicts of interest;
(5) qualifications and performance of appointed, contract and staff attorneys in capital cases at the trial, appellate and post-conviction levels; and
(6) personnel policies and procedures, including the development of public defender personnel rules, to establish an independent system of personnel administration for the department; provided that no employee of the department, except the chief, assistant chief public defenders, appellate defender and district public defenders, shall have fewer rights than under the Personnel Act [N.M. Stat. Ann. Chapter 10, Article 9] and under administrative rules applicable to state employees on the effective date of this 2014 act.
C. An individual member of the commission shall not interfere with the discretion, professional judgment or advocacy of a public defender, a public defender office, a public defender contractor or an assigned counsel in the representation of a public defender client.