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Senate advances bill tripling county payments for court-appointed indigent defense
Summary
The Mississippi Senate approved legislation to raise the statutory fees counties pay court-appointed attorneys — tripling current flat rates — and sent the bill to the House after a morning roll call. Supporters said the change aims to retain attorneys in rural areas; critics warned higher pay alone won’t fix public-defense quality.
The Mississippi Senate on a morning roll call approved a bill that increases the flat fees counties pay for court-appointed counsel, moving the measure to the House for further action. The bill would triple current statutory payments for appointed attorneys, with a three-year repealer to let lawmakers review the change.
The bill’s sponsor, Senator Hobson, told colleagues the change would not affect the state budget because the fees are paid by counties. “This is a bill that deals with payment of indigent counsel. Although it came to appropriations, this does not affect the state budget in any way,” Hobson said on the Senate floor.
Supporters argued the current pay was so low that some counties struggle to keep lawyers willing to handle indigent cases. Hobson and…
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