PIERRE — The House Judiciary Committee of the South Dakota Legislature passed a bill that would set up a task force to look at court appointed attorney fees and indigent legal representation. House Bill 1064 is the working form of an idea broached by Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven Jensen in his State of the Judiciary address. State Court Administrator Greg Sattizahn says the topic is top-of-mind for many counties….
Also supporting the bill is Kris Jacobsen, Executive Director of the Association of County Commissioners…
Sattizahn says he expects the costs to increase continually, after looking at costs from 2010…
Representative Mary Fitzgerald moved to send the bill to the House floor…
South Dakota Counties spent 21 million dollars in 2022 on indigent legal representation and reimbursed about three-percent of those costs. The bill was certified for the consent calendar meaning it may be able to move though the House with no discussion.
