Bailey v. State

Chandler, Justice:

This Court is today called upon to determine whether compensation shall be paid to attorneys appointed to represent indigent defendants who are charged with murder for which, upon conviction, the death penalty (capital murder) may be imposed.

We reach our decision today fully cognizant of the legal profession’s traditional and historic role in the general society. It is a role anchored to the postulate that the practice of law is not a marketplace business or commercial venture but, rather, a profession dedicated primarily to service.

This obligation to service is a lifelong…