About Alabama Indigent Defense
Structure
The Alabama indigent defense system is currently divided according to the 41 judicial circuits in the state, and there are three representation service models used in these circuits. The majority of the judicial circuits use an appointed counsel system. Private attorneys place their names on an appointment list and are periodically asked to represent indigent defendants for an hourly rate. About ten circuits use the contract defender system; private attorneys are hired for a set dollar amount each month to handle all indigent cases. A small number of judicial circuits have a full-time public defender offices or a part-time public defender.
There is no statewide oversight or supervisions of the delivery of indigent defense services in Alabama
Funding
Indigent defense services in Alabama are funded by a combination of state funding and court filing fees
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