1.    The commission shall appoint a director who must be chosen on the basis of training, experience, and other qualifications considered appropriate. The director must be an attorney licensed and eligible to practice law in this state at the time of appointment and at all times during service as director. The director may be removed for cause by a majority vote of commission members.

Terms Used In North Dakota Code 54-61-03

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • 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 North Dakota Code 1-01-49

2.    The director shall:

a.    Assist the commission in developing standards for the delivery of adequate indigent defense services; b.    Administer and coordinate delivery of indigent defense services and supervise compliance with commission standards; c. Recommend the establishment of public defender offices when considered necessary and appropriate to the delivery of adequate indigent defense services; d.    Conduct regular training programs for contract counsel and public defenders; e. Subject to policies and procedures established by the commission, hire the professional, technical, and support personnel, including attorneys to serve as public defenders, considered reasonably necessary for the efficient delivery of indigent defense services; f.    Prepare and submit to the commission a proposed biennial budget for the provision of indigent defense services; an annual report containing pertinent data on the operation, needs, and costs of the indigent defense contract system and any established public defender offices; and any other information as the commission may require; g.    Submit the annual report required under subdivision f to the legislative council; and h.    Perform other duties as the commission may assign.