South Carolina § 17-3-320 - Office of Indigent Defense; executive director; appointment; duties.

§ 17-3-320. Office of Indigent Defense; executive director; appointment; duties.

(A) There is created the Office of Indigent Defense under the jurisdiction of the commission. The office must be administered by an executive director appointed by the commission. The executive director may hire other administrative, clerical, and legal staff and is authorized to contract with outside consultants on behalf of the office as he considers necessary to provide the services as required pursuant to the provisions of this article.

(B) The executive director shall:

(1) administer and coordinate the operations of the office and all divisions within the office and supervise compliance among the circuit defender offices with rules, procedures, regulations, and standards adopted by the commission;

(2) maintain proper records of all financial transactions related to the operation of the office;

(3) coordinate the services of the office with any federal, county, private, or other programs established to provide assistance to indigent persons entitled to representation pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and consult with professional organizations concerning the implementation and improvement of programs for providing indigent services;

(4) prepare and submit annually to the commission a proposed budget for the provision of statewide indigent defense services; and prepare and submit an annual report containing pertinent data on the operations, costs, and needs of the state's indigent defense system and other information as the commission may require;

(5) coordinate in the development and implementation of rules, policies, procedures, regulations, and standards adopted by the commission to carry out the provisions of this chapter and comply with all applicable laws and standards;

(6) maintain proper records of all financial transactions related to the operation of the commission;

(7) apply for and accept on behalf of the commission funds that may become available from any source, including government, nonprofit, or private grants, gifts, or bequests;

(8) provide for the training of attorneys and other staff involved in the legal representation of persons subject to the provisions of this chapter;

(9) attend all commission meetings, except those meetings or portions of the meetings that address the question of appointment or removal of the director;

(10) ensure that the expenditures of the commission are not greater than the amounts budgeted or available from other revenue sources; and

(11) perform other duties as the commission assigns.

HISTORY: 1993 Act No. 164, Part II, SECTION 45C; 2005 Act No. 103, SECTION 2, eff July 1, 2005; 2007 Act No. 108, SECTION 7, eff June 21, 2007.