§ 77-32-402. Duties of board.

(1) The board shall:

(a) establish rules and procedures for the application by counties for disbursements, and the screening and approval of the applications for money from the:

(i) Indigent Inmate Trust Fund established in Part 5, Indigent Inmates;

(ii) Indigent Capital Defense Trust Fund established in Part 6, Indigent Capital Defense Trust Fund; and

(iii) Indigent Felony Defense Trust Fund established in Part 7, Indigent Felony Defense Trust Fund;

(b) receive, screen, and approve or disapprove the application of counties for disbursements from each fund;

(c) calculate the amount of the annual contribution to be made to the funds by each participating county;

(d) prescribe forms for the application for money from each fund;

(e) oversee and approve the disbursement of money from each fund as provided in Sections 77-32-401, 77-32-502, 77-32-601, and 77-32-701;

(f) establish its own rules of procedure, elect its own officers, and appoint committees of its members and other people as may be reasonable and necessary;

(g) negotiate, enter into, and administer contracts with legal counsel, qualified under and meeting the standards consistent with this chapter, to provide defense counsel services to:

(i) indigents prosecuted in participating counties for serious offenses in violation of state law; and

(ii) an indigent inmate who is incarcerated in certain counties.

(2) The board may provide to the court a list of attorneys qualified under Utah Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rule 8, with which the board has a preliminary contract to defend indigent cases for an assigned rate.

Enacted by Chapter 354, 1997 General Session