The Alabama Senate approved a bill that could provide more money for attorneys representing indigent clients.
SB 83, sponsored by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, would, among other measures, alter the payment for attorneys representing indigent clients by replacing a flat $70 an hour reimbursement with a new schedule of rates and caps, based on the type of crime a client is charged with and whether it is a juvenile case.
“This bill moves to raise the amount that indigent defense attorneys are paid,” Smitherman said.
Under the legislation, approved Thursday, an attorney representing an indigent client charged with a Class B felony – punishable by up to 20 years in prison – would be paid $90 per hour, with a total cap of $4,500.