Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes a statewide public defender office in the state of South Dakota.

Highlights:

• Defines terms related to legal services (Sec. 1). 

• Establishes the Commission on Indigent Legal services (Sec. 2). 

• Specifies membership of the commission (Sec. 3). 

• SPecifies that the commission may remove a member for good cause and by a two thirds vote (Sec. 4). 

• Specifies that no member of the commission shall receive any compensation but shall be compensated for per diem ( Sec. 5) 

• Specifies that the commission shall oversee indigent representation services to ensure effective assistance of counsel in the state court system where there is a right to counsel under state or federal law (Sec. 6). 

• Specifies that the commission shall do the following (Sec. 6): 

• Establish training standards; 

• Monitor and evaluate said standards; 

• Establish hourly rates and travel reimbursement rates for attorneys; 

• Auditing and monitoring of billings for private appointed attorneys;and

• Provide for the collection of data from state and local systems to inform the oversight duties of the commission.

Full Bill Text