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

Commission Announces 2020 Meeting Dates   

• March 18, 2020 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.
• June 17, 2020 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.
• September 23, 2020 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 16, 2020 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 March 18, 2020 meeting will be held at: 

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

2020 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. 

• 4th Quarter 2019 due February 14, 2020
• 1st Quarter 2020 due May 15, 2020 (NOTE: new reporting form MUST be used)
• 2nd Quarter 2020 due August 14, 2020
• 3rd Quarter 2020 due November 14, 2020

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

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 2020 to match the pay raises prosecutors received on 7/1/19. Please contact Commission staff with any questions.

Prosecutor Salary Table Effective July 1, 2019

Full-Time Prosecutor               $151,137.43
Part-Time Prosecutor (.66)      $  99,750.00
Part-Time Prosecutor (.6)        $  90,682.00
Full-Time Chief Deputy            $113,353.07
Part-Time Chief Deputy (.66)  $  74,812.50
Part-Time Chief Deputy (.6)    $  68,011.50

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.