§ 16-87-302 — Funding of public defenders

(a) The Arkansas Public Defender Commission shall be responsible for the payment of the following: (1) The salaries of public defenders; (2) The salaries of secretaries and other support staff of the public defender's office; and (3) The payment of the costs of certain expenses, as authorized by § 16-87-212 . (b) Each county or counties within a judicial district shall be responsible for the payment of the following: (1) (A) The cost of facilities, equipment, supplies, and other office expenses necessary to the effective and efficient operation of the public defender's office. (B) Funding for these expenditures may be from: (i) A county administration of justice fund; (ii) A county's general fund; (iii) A county's public defender fund; (iv) A county's indigent defense fund; (v) A county's public defender investigator fund; or (vi) Any other fund authorized by law for that purpose. (C) These expenditures shall comply with an itemized, line-item budget appropriated by the quorum court; and (2) The compensation of additional personnel within the office of the public defender, when approved in advance by the quorum court.

Legislative History

Acts 1997, No. 788, § 12; 1997, No. 1341, § 12; 2001, No. 1799, § 8; 2011, No. 1201, § 1.