Sec. 6. (a) For purposes of this section, the term “board” includes a joint board created by an interlocal agreement under section 3.5 of this chapter.

     (b) If a county or multicounty public defender‘s office is established under this chapter, the board shall do the following:

(1) Recommend to the county fiscal body or (in the case of a multicounty public defender’s office) the fiscal body of each county that is a participant in the interlocal agreement under section 3.5 of this chapter an annual operating budget for the county or multicounty public defender’s office.

(2) Appoint a county or multicounty public defender.

(3) Submit an annual report to the county executive, the county fiscal body, and the judges described in section 3 of this chapter regarding the operation of the county or multicounty public defender’s office, including information relating to caseloads and expenditures.

     (c) A county or multicounty public defender shall be appointed for a term not less than four (4) years and may be reappointed. The county or multicounty public defender may be removed from office only upon a showing of good cause. An attorney must be admitted to the practice of law in Indiana for at least two (2) years before the attorney is eligible for appointment as a county or multicounty public defender.

[Pre-2004 Recodification Citation: 33-9-15-6.]

As added by P.L.98-2004, SEC.19. Amended by P.L.69-2019, SEC.7.