2006 Louisiana Laws - RS 15:151 — Indigent defense assistance board

§151.  Indigent Defense Assistance Board

A.  There is hereby established in the office of the governor the Indigent Defense Assistance Board.

B.(1)  The board shall consist of fifteen members.

(2)  Persons appointed to the board shall have significant experience in the defense of criminal proceedings or shall have demonstrated a strong commitment to quality representation in indigent defense matters.  No person shall be appointed to the board that has received compensation to be an elected judge, elected official, judicial officer, prosecutor, law enforcement official, indigent defense provider, or employees of all such persons, within a two-year period prior to appointment.  No active part-time, full-time, contract or court-appointed indigent defense provider, or active employees of such persons, may be appointed to serve on the board as a voting member.  No person having an official responsibility to the board, administratively or financially, or their employee shall be appointed to the board until two years have expired from the time the person held such position and the date of appointment to the board.  The majority of board members shall be a current member of the Louisiana State Bar Association. Representatives of the client community shall not be prohibited from serving as voting members of the board.  With the exception of mandatory affiliation of the Louisiana State Bar Association, no state or local association of lawyers shall have more than one active board member or officer as a voting member of the Indigent Defense Assistance Board.

(3)  The members shall be selected as follows:

(a)  The governor shall appoint two members and shall designate the chairman.

(b)  The chief justice of the Supreme Court of Louisiana shall appoint two members, one member shall be a juvenile justice advocate.

(c)  The president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives shall each appoint one member.

(d)  The governor shall appoint one member representing the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center who is an active employee, retired employee or has an academic association with the Paul M. Hebert Law Center.

(e)  The governor shall appoint one member representing the Loyola University School of Law who is an active employee, retired employee or has an academic association with the Loyola University School of Law.

(f)  The governor shall appoint one member representing the Southern University Law Center who is an active employee, retired employee or has an academic association with the Southern University Law Center.

(g)  The governor shall appoint one member representing the Tulane University School of Law who is an active employee, retired employee or has an academic association with the Tulane University School of Law.

(h)  The president of the Louisiana State Bar Association shall appoint two members, subject to confirmation by the Senate.

(i)  The president of the Louisiana Chapter of the Louis A. Martinet Society shall appoint one member, subject to confirmation by the Senate.

(j)  The chairman of the Louisiana State Law Institute's Children Code Committee shall appoint one member, subject to confirmation by the Senate.

(k)  The executive director of the Louisiana Interchurch Conference shall appoint one member, subject to confirmation by the Senate.

(4)  A vacancy on the board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

(5)  Members of the board shall serve staggered terms of four years, after initial terms as follows:

(a)  Two members shall be immediately appointed for a four-year term by the Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court.

(b)  One member shall be immediately appointed to a two-year term by the governor representing the Louisiana State University Law School.

(c)  One member shall be immediately appointed to a three-year term by the governor representing the Loyola University School of Law.

(d)  One member shall be immediately appointed to a three-year term by the governor representing the Southern University Law School.

(e)  One member shall be immediately appointed to a four-year term by the governor representing the Tulane University School of Law.

(f)  Upon the first expiration of the term or resignation by a current appointee of the governor, one member shall be appointed to a four-year term by the executive director of the Louisiana Interchurch Conference.

(g)  Upon the first expiration of the term or resignation by a current appointee of the president of the Senate, one member shall be appointed to a two-year term by the president of the Louisiana State Bar Association.

(h)  Upon the second expiration of the term or resignation by a current appointee of the president of the Senate, one member shall be appointed to a four-year term by the president of the Louisiana State Bar Association.

(i)  Upon the third expiration of the term or resignation by a current appointee of the president of the Senate, one member shall be appointed to a three-year term by the president of the Senate.

(j)  Upon the first expiration of the term or resignation by a current appointee of the speaker of the House of Representatives, one member shall be appointed to a two-year term by the president of the Louisiana Chapter of the Louis A. Martinet Society.

(k)  Upon the second expiration of the term or resignation by a current appointee of the speaker of the House of Representatives, one member shall be appointed to a four-year term by the chairman of the Louisiana State Law Institute's Children Code Committee.

(l)  Upon the third expiration of the term or resignation by a current appointee of the speaker of the House of Representatives, one member shall be appointed to a three-year term by the speaker of the House of Representatives.

(6)  In addition there shall be two ex officio, nonvoting members of the board who shall not be counted or be permitted to be counted for purposes of the number of members necessary to take board action or the number of members necessary to establish a quorum.  In all other respects they have all the duties, authority, requirements and benefits, except per diem, of any other board member.  Each of the following organizations shall appoint one such member:

(a)  The Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

(b)  The Louisiana Public Defender's Association.

C.  Nothing in this Section shall limit the length of the term for any board members serving on the Indigent Defense Assistance Board on August 15, 2005, except that they may be removed for just cause.

Acts 1997, No. 1361, §1, eff. Dec. 31, 1997; Acts 2005, No. 343, §1.