STAND. COM. REP. NO. 136

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1317

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1317 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COURT APPOINTED COUNSEL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase the amount of the compensation payable to an attorney who is appointed by a court to represent an indigent criminal or juvenile defendant in any judicial or administrative proceeding in the courts.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the State Attorney General, Public Defender, County of Kauai Prosecuting Attorney, City and County of Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney, the Hawaii State Bar Association, the Hawaii Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and three concerned individuals. The Department of Budget and Finance submitted concerns.

Under current law, court-appointed attorneys for indigent criminal and juvenile defendants are paid $40 per hour for out-of-court services and $60 per hour for services performed in court. Current law also sets a maximum amount that can be paid to the attorney based on a schedule of cases. For example, the maximum amount for a felony case is currently $3,000, while the maximum amount for a petty misdemeanor case is $450.

Your Committee finds that the current rates, which were last increased in 1987, are too low, far below prevailing rates. The courts have found it difficult to find competent attorneys to accept complex cases, and cases on appeal. The difficulty has created serious concerns among those who prosecute and those who defend the indigent defendants citing increased cases on appeal and cases of ineffective assistance of counsel.

Justices of the Hawaii Supreme Court have commented on the inadequacy of the current fee schedule for court appointed attorneys. In In re Attorney's Fees of Reinhardt Mohr, 97 Haw. 1, 32 P.3d 647 (2001), Justice Ramil wrote:

In my view, the patently inadequate hourly rate paid to state court-appointed private counsel is endangering the right of indigent criminal defendants to adequate representation. The current rate does little to encourage private counsel to participate enthusiastically in the defense of indigent criminal defendants.

Justice Acoba wrote:

The hourly rate under HRS Section 802-5 is no longer reasonable. . . Insofar as compensation is inadequate, those attorneys who represent indigent clients, . . . personally subsidize the financial obligation imposed upon the State by the United State and Hawai'i constitutions' mandate that such defendants be represented by counsel.

Your Committee concurs with the comments of the Justices of the Hawaii Supreme Court and believes that the rates should be increased as provided in the bill.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1317 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

COLLEEN HANABUSA, Chair