Ala. Admin. Code r. 355-9-1-.10

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024

Section 355-9-1-.10 - Caseload Management Standards

It is the policy of OIDS, in accordance with the Act, that the caseload of counsel providing legal services to indigent defendants should allow each lawyer to give each client the time and attention necessary to ensure effective representation. In order to assure that caseloads are managed adequately so that the quality of legal representation for indigent criminal defendants is not compromised, the following caseload standards are adopted for those attorneys representing indigent criminal defendants, and should not be exceeded:

(a) Two hundred (200) felony cases per attorney per year; OR

(b) Four hundred (400) misdemeanor and traffic offense cases per attorney per year; OR

(c) Two hundred (200) juvenile offender cases per attorney per year; OR

(d) One hundred (100) open juvenile dependency cases per attorney per year; OR

(e) One hundred (100) GAL cases per attorney per year; OR

(f) Thirty-six (36) appeals to an appellate court considering a case on a record and on briefs per attorney per year.

It is expected that an attorney will handle cases in more than one of the types set out in (a) through (f), above. However, in any year, an attorney should not accept a caseload of any combination of the types set out above that, due to the volume of cases, compromises the ability of the attorney to render quality representation.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 355-9-1-.10

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXIV, Issue No. 02, November 30, 2015, eff. 12/23/2015; operative 1/4/2016.

Author: C. Roberts

Statutory Authority:Code of Ala. 1975, § 41-4-322(h).