This text of Louisiana § 15:163 (Regionalization of district public defender services by office) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.
§163. Regionalization of district public defender services by office
A. In certain cases the office may regionalize and operate the public defender
services of a district as a subdivision of the office through a regional office. When the public
defender services of a district are taken over by the office in this manner, the district public
defender shall be an employee of the region, and the regional director shall be the manager
and supervisor of the district public defender office. A regionalization of the operation of
a district public defender program shall occur upon a finding by the office that one of the
following conditions have occurred:
(1)The district, through its district public defender, petitions the office for the office
to regionalize the delivery of indigent defender serv
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§163. Regionalization of district public defender services by office
A. In certain cases the office may regionalize and operate the public defender
services of a district as a subdivision of the office through a regional office. When the public
defender services of a district are taken over by the office in this manner, the district public
defender shall be an employee of the region, and the regional director shall be the manager
and supervisor of the district public defender office. A regionalization of the operation of
a district public defender program shall occur upon a finding by the office that one of the
following conditions have occurred:
(1) The district, through its district public defender, petitions the office for the office
to regionalize the delivery of indigent defender services in the district.
(2) The office upon its own motion finds that the district public defender office has
failed after reasonable assistance, resourcing, and consultation with the office to reasonably
meet performance standards mandated by the office or to comply with data reporting or any
other rule adopted by the office.
(3) Due to a natural disaster or catastrophic emergency, the district public defender
cannot operate or function normally, provided that this shall apply for not longer than a
period of six months, renewable by the office on an interim basis at six-month intervals.
B. In any district where the office takes over the operation of indigent defender
services as provided by this Section, the district office shall be maintained for client services
in the judicial district. The district public defender in a district regionalized pursuant to the
provisions of this Section shall be a day-to-day manager and shall work out of the district
office.
C. When the operation of a district office is regionalized pursuant to the provisions
of this Section, the supervision of compliance with state standards and guidelines may be
carried out by a staff member of the office.
D. Prior to regionalizing a district as provided for in this Section, the office shall
send written notice of the public hearing as required in Subsection E of this Section to the
chief judge and the district public defender of that judicial district of the office's intention to
regionalize the district.
E.(1) Prior to regionalizing a district as provided for in this Section, the office shall
conduct a public hearing regarding regionalization of a district and provide the public an
opportunity to offer comment on the regionalization.
(2) The public hearing provided for by this Subsection may be conducted at a regular
meeting of the parish governing authority in the district, provided proper notice is provided
to the public as required by this Subsection.