- Collection:
- Georgia Government Publications
- Serial:
- Press release.
- Title:
- Press release [Mar. 16, 2004A]
- Creator:
- Georgia. General Assembly. House. Public Information Office
- Contributor to Resource:
- Georgia. General Assembly. House. Public Information Office
- Publisher:
- Atlanta, Ga. : Georgia. General Assembly. House. Public Information Office
- Date of Original:
- 2004-03-16
- Subject:
- Georgia
- Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- publications (documents)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- application/pdf
- Description:
- Open access; Unrestricted online access star GAGAL
July 29, 2002B; title from Georgia Government Publications citation, viewed September 19, 2007. - External Identifiers:
- Call Number GA L412 .P1 P7 2004/3-16A
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:dlg_ggpd_i-ga-bl412-b-pp1-bp7-b2004-s3-h16a-belec-p-btext
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/do:dlg_ggpd_i-ga-bl412-b-pp1-bp7-b2004-s3-h16a-belec-p-btext
- Language:
- eng
- Holding Institution:
- University of Georgia. Map and Government Information Library
- Rights:
-
3-1998-5156
House Information Office Room 505, Legislative Office Building
Atlanta, Georgia 30334 404-656-5082 1-800-282-5800
March 16, 2004
For Immediate Release
Local Resident Appointed to Public Defender Selection Panel
Atlanta-- State Representative Gail Buckner (D-Jonesboro) has nominated Mr. David Scott of Ellenwood, Georgia to the Public Defender Selection Panel for the Clayton Judicial Circuit. Mr. Scott will be charged with helping select a public defender for the Clayton Circuit, which is one of 49 judicial circuits in Georgia.
In 2003 the General Assembly adopted HB 770 which was aimed at fixing how Georgia provides legal representation for the poor. The legislation created an 11-member state board to oversee public defender offices in the state's 49 judicial circuits. Public defender offices would provide legal representation to indigents charged only in Superior or Juvenile courts, but would be allowed to contract with county courts to handle misdemeanor cases.
The state board overseeing public defender offices will begin operating in 2005. They will set standards of performance to ensure quality representation and can remove defenders whose quality of representation fails to meet the standards adopted.
Selection panels are now being appointed in each of the 49 judicial circuits in order to begin naming public defenders to meet the requirements of HB 770.
The federal courts had threatened to step in and mandate a system unless lawmakers made changes that provide adequate representation for all.
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For further information please contact Gail Buckner's office at 404-656-0276.