Rates restored for attorneys defending the poor
Feb 13, 2014, 8:30 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) – The federal judiciary has restored hourly pay rates that had been reduced by $15 an hour for lawyers in private practice who accept appointments to defend indigent defendants in criminal cases.
The Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States reduced the rates last August for the court-appointed attorneys, saying the move was necessary to avoid permanent damage to the federal defender program.
For work starting March 1, hourly rates will be $126. For defending clients in death penalty cases, the rate will be $180.
(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)