Feature Article
About Georgia Indigent Defense

Structure Georgia’s indigent defense system is governed by the Georgia Public Defense Standards Council. The Council is composed of 11 members – the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals each appoint two members to serve four-year terms. The eleventh member is a circuit public defender appointed by the circuit public defenders to serve one-year terms.

Funding The budget for the Public Standards Council includes the budget for all circuit public defenders and other offices and entities, including conflict defender office and appointed attorneys providing indigent defense representation under the authority of this article.

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News of Interest
The Georgia Indigent Defense Act of 2003


The Georgia Indigent Defense Act of 2003

In 2003, Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the Georgia Indigent Defense Act into law. The law calls for a complete overhaul of the indigent defense system in Georgia.

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Indigent Defense Study Commission in Georgia


Indigent Defense Study Commission in Georgia

In 2000, the Georgia Supreme Court issued an order establishing the Chief Justice’s Commission on Indigent Defense, directing the group to “study the status of indigent defense in Georgia, to develop a strategic plan and to set a timetable for its implementation.”

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National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
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