Pillersdorf v. Department of Public Advocacy

STEPHENS, Chief Justice.

The present action provides yet another twist in the ongoing chronicle concerning constitutionally mandated representation of indigent defendants and “who must pay.” See McCracken County Fiscal Court v. Graves (92-SC-762-TG) and Department for Public Advocacy v. Shadoan, 885 S.W.2d 307 (1994). The issue in this case concerns the *617authority of a trial judge to appoint counsel to represent an indigent capital defendant and to direct the state Department for Public Advocacy (DPA) to compensate the attorneys at the statutory hourly rates with no limitation on the maximum…