Louisiana Revised Statutes 15:167 – Louisiana Public Defender Fund
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 15:167
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- indigent defender: means an attorney employed by or under contract with the board, the office, or a district public defender to provide legal counsel to an indigent person in a criminal proceeding. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 15:143
- Office: means the office of the state public defender authorized to:
(a) Regulate and fund public defender services and provide financial support to other service programs that provide services to persons adjudicated in the criminal justice system. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 15:143
- program: means the activities directed toward the accomplishment of providing indigent defender services under the Louisiana Public Defender Act. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 15:143
- Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
A. “The Louisiana Public Defender Fund”, hereinafter referred to as the “LPD Fund”, is hereby created in the state treasury. Interest earned on the investment of monies in the fund shall be deposited in and credited to the fund. Unexpended and unencumbered monies in the fund at the close of each fiscal year shall remain in the fund. Monies in the fund shall be appropriated, administered, and used solely and exclusively for purposes of the Louisiana Public Defender Act, other services and programs, and as further provided in this Section.
B. The fund shall be comprised of all monies appropriated, donated, or otherwise made available to provide funding for the provisions of the Louisiana Public Defender Act. All of such monies required to be deposited in the state treasury in accordance with La. Const. Art. VII, § 9(A) shall be deposited in the fund after first meeting the requirements of La. Const. Art. VII, § 9(B) relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund.
C. Monies in the fund shall be appropriated and used solely and exclusively to provide for the implementation of the Louisiana Public Defender Act and the program.
D. The LPD Fund shall be administered by the office as authorized by the provisions of the Louisiana Public Defender Act. The office is hereby authorized to establish such accounts or sub-accounts within the LPD Fund as deemed necessary to comply with the provisions of the Louisiana Public Defender Act and the program.
E. The office shall dedicate and disburse at least seventy-five percent of the entirety of its annual budget and its funds in the LPD Fund as defined in Subsection A of this Section each fiscal year to the district defender offices and their indigent defender funds as defined in La. Rev. Stat. 15:168(A) in the various judicial districts throughout the state. The provisions of this Subsection shall not apply to statutorily dedicated funds or funds received through the awarding of grants.
Acts 2007, No. 307, §1; Acts 2016, No. 571, §1; Acts 2024, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 22, §1, eff. March 20, 2024.