South Carolina Code 17-3-45. Affidavit of assets of persons seeking appointed counsel; application fee; claim against assets and estate of person provided counsel
(B) A forty dollar application fee for appointed counsel services must be collected from every person who executes an affidavit that they are financially unable to employ counsel. The person may apply to the court, the clerk of court, or other appropriate official for a waiver or reduction in the application fee. If it is determined that the person is unable to pay the application fee, the fee may be waived or reduced, provided that if the fee is waived or reduced, the clerk or appropriate official shall report the amount waived or reduced to the trial judge and the trial judge shall order the remainder of the fee paid during probation if the person is granted probation or by a time payment method if probation is not granted or appropriate. The clerk of court or other appropriate official shall collect the application fee imposed by this section and remit the proceeds to the Public Defender Application Fund on a monthly basis. The monies must be deposited in an interest-bearing account separate from the general fund and used only to provide for indigent defense services. The monies shall be administered by the Office of Indigent Defense. The clerk of court or other appropriate official shall maintain a record of all persons applying for representation and the disposition of the application and shall provide this information to the Office of Indigent Defense on a monthly basis as well as reporting the amount of funds collected or waived.
Terms Used In South Carolina Code 17-3-45
- Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
- Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
- Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
- Personal property: All property that is not real property.
- Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
- Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
(C) In matters in which a juvenile is brought before a court, the parents or legal guardian of such juvenile shall execute the above affidavit based upon their financial status and shall be responsible for paying any fee. In juvenile matters, the parents or legal guardians of the juvenile, must be advised in writing of this requirement at the earliest stage of the proceedings against the juvenile.
(D) Nothing contained in this section restricts or hinders a court from appointing counsel in any emergency proceedings or where there is not sufficient time for an individual to complete the application process.
(E) The appointment of counsel creates a claim against the assets and estate of the person who is provided counsel or the parents or legal guardians of a juvenile in an amount equal to the costs of representation as determined by a voucher submitted by the appointed counsel and approved by the court, less that amount that the person pays either to the appointed counsel or defender corporation of the county or counties where he is represented or to the Office of Indigent Defense. The claim shall be filed in the office of the clerk of court in the county where the person is assigned counsel, but the filing of a claim shall not constitute a lien against real or personal property of the person unless, in the discretion of the court, part or all of such claim is reduced to judgment by appropriate order of the court, after serving the person with at least thirty days’ notice that judgment will be entered. When a claim is reduced to judgment, it shall have the same effect as judgments, except as modified by this chapter.
(F) The court may, in its discretion, order any claim or judgment waived, modified, or withdrawn.