Iowa Code 13B.4A – Confidentiality of indigent defense claim records
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1. A claim for compensation and reimbursement for legal assistance and supporting documents submitted to the state public defender for payment of costs incurred in the legal representation of an indigent person from the indigent defense fund established in section 815.11 shall be kept confidential by the state public defender except as otherwise provided in subsection 2.
Terms Used In Iowa Code 13B.4A
- Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
- person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
- 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, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
- State public defender: means the state public defender appointed pursuant to this chapter. See Iowa Code 13B.1
2. a. The claim and supporting documents shall be released to the client on whose behalf the costs were incurred, or the client’s designee, upon written request by the client.
b. Summary claims data may be released if the data does not contain information that is required to be kept confidential pursuant to an attorney’s obligations under the Iowa rules of professional conduct. Such summary data may include:
(1) The name of the attorney or vendor who provided the legal services.
(2) The name of the county in which legal services were provided.
(3) The case number and name of the client unless the information is a confidential juvenile record under section 232.147.
(4) The type of claim and the type of cases for which legal services were provided.
(5) The number of hours and expenses claimed, and the total amount paid.
c. The state public defender may in the state public defender’s sole discretion release claims and supporting documents, including any information that would otherwise be confidential under sections 232.147 through 232.150, to the auditor of state, the Iowa supreme court attorney disciplinary board, the grievance commission of the supreme court of Iowa, or to other state or local agencies to the extent necessary to investigate fraud or other criminal activity against the attorney or vendor submitting the claim.
d. The state public defender may release the claim and supporting documents to the court with respect to a hearing held under section 13B.4, subsection 4, paragraph “d”.