Welcome to the Public Defender Commission

Since 1989, the Indiana Public Defender Commission has served to recommend standards for indigent defense to improve the quality of public defenders in both death penalty and non-capital cases. The Commission is the standards and county funding arm of the three organizations that work to improve public defense throughout the state of Indiana. Please look below to see which service can help you with your request. Thank you for visiting our website!

News and Announcements

New Hourly Rate for Death Penalty Cases Effective January 1, 2019 

Commencing January 1, 2019, the hourly rate in death penalty cases filed or remanded after appeal, on or after January 1, 2019, will increase from $120 to $124.

2019 Quarterly Requests for Reimbursement due dates: Updated Forms Released

Please visit our Forms page and download the latest versions of the Request for Reimbursement forms. Additional resources and worksheets are available on the Reimbursement Request page. 

• 1st Quarter 2019 due May 15, 2019
• 2nd Quarter 2019 due August 14, 2019
• 3rd Quarter 2019 due November 14, 2019

General information on Reimbursement Requests (updated 8/28/18)

2019 Commission Meetings    

• June 12, 2019 at 2 PM EST - A brief executive session will be held beginning at 2 PM pursuant to I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1 (b)(9), followed by the regularly scheduled meeting.
• September 25, 2019 at 2 PM EST - A brief executive session may be held beginning at 2 PM pursuant to I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1 (b)(9), followed by the regularly scheduled meeting.
• December 18, 2019 at 2 PM EST - A brief executive session may be held beginning at 2 PM pursuant to I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1 (b)(9), followed by the regularly scheduled meeting.

The June 12, 2019 meeting will be held  at: 

Indiana Public Defender Commission
Conference Room
309 W Washington Street, Suite 501
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Commission Subcommittee Meetings

The Commission has launched a subcommittee to review the current standards and make recommendations to the Commission on potential changes. The subcommittee meetings are open to the public.

Upcoming dates and times of the subcommittee meetings will be posted here. 

Compensation Subcommittee

The compensation subcommittee will meet on Monday, May 20 at 1 pm.

The meeting will be held at: 

Indiana Public Defender Commission
Conference Room
309 W Washington Street, Suite 501
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Indiana Supreme Court Announces Pay Increase for Prosecutor and Deputy Prosecutor Positions

Chief Public Defenders in counties with offices must be compensated at the same rate as the elected prosecutor. Counties have until January 2019 to match the pay raises prosecutors received on 7/1/18. Please contact Commission staff with any questions.

Prosecutor Salary Table Effective July 1, 2018

Full-Time Prosecutor               $147,164
Part-Time Prosecutor (.66)      $  97,128
Part-Time Prosecutor (.6)        $  88,298
Full-Time Chief Deputy          $110,373
Part-Time Chief Deputy (.66)  $  72,846
Part-Time Chief Deputy (.6)    $  66,224

Complaint About a Judicial Officer

If you have a complaint about your public defender, please contact the local Chief Public Defender or head of your local Public Defender Board to report the issues. If you feel the attorney violated their Rules of Professional Conduct you should contact the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission to formally file your complaint. The Indiana Public Defender Commission cannot prosecute public defender misconduct.

If you believe your judge improperly denied you an attorney and your county receives Commission reimbursement please contact us.  If you believe your judge has violated the Code of Judicial Conduct, you should contact the Judicial Qualifications Commission to file a complaint.