12-14-2003 Hall County faces huge bill for drive-by trials
Superior Court Judge Andrew Fuller says he based his decision to supply each defendant with three lawyers on the gravity of the charges, the complexity of each case and the anticipated workload for each of the attorneys.
But the county commission is questioning Fuller's wisdom in appointing nine lawyers to the cases and had them scrambling to find the money.
The invoices caught Hall County government off guard. With just $127,000 in the county's indigent account, Hall commissioners were forced last week to shift nearly $225,000 from the contingency fund balance to cover the fees.
The costs of indigent defense have exceeded the amount budgeted by the county for at least the last five years. This trend could continue as Hall's population grows and more people claim indigent status.
Superior Court Judge Andrew Fuller says he based his decision to supply each defendant with three lawyers on the gravity of the charges, the complexity of each case and the anticipated workload for each of the attorneys.
But the county commission is questioning Fuller's wisdom in appointing nine lawyers to the cases and had them scrambling to find the money.
The invoices caught Hall County government off guard. With just $127,000 in the county's indigent account, Hall commissioners were forced last week to shift nearly $225,000 from the contingency fund balance to cover the fees.
The costs of indigent defense have exceeded the amount budgeted by the county for at least the last five years. This trend could continue as Hall's population grows and more people claim indigent status.
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