Rule 209 - Appeals at Public Expense(a) Civil Matters.(1) A party to a civil action may file in the supreme court a motion to appeal or to petition for review at public expense. The motion shall be accompanied by a sworn financial statement on a form provided by the clerk of the appellate courts.(2) In considering the motion to appeal or petition for review at public expense, the court shall determine the indigence or nonindigence of the party.(3) If the motion is granted: [a] The court shall specify in the order granting the motion which of the following costs or partial costs are to be covered at public expense: [3] Costs of printing briefs,[b] Any costs and attorney fees awarded to the appellant or petitioner as a prevailing party in the supreme court shall accrue to the state to reimburse it for costs relating to the appeal or petition for review.(4) Leave to file at public expense may be conditioned on repayment of costs to the state. The conditions may include the imposition of liens in favor of the state on costs, attorney fees and other recoveries awarded to the indigent appellant or petitioner.(5) An appeal or petition for review at public expense will be allowed without additional motion in cases where the appellant is represented by court-appointed counsel.(6) The provisions of this paragraph do not apply to the filing fees in a prisoner's appeal against the state or an officer, agent, employee, or former officer, agent, or employee of the state that is governed by the provisions of AS 09.19. A prisoner may request a filing fee reduction in an appeal governed by AS 09.19 by submitting an application which satisfies the requirements of AS 09.19.010 with the prisoner's notice of appeal and the items specified in Appellate Rule 204(b).(b) Criminal Matters.(1) In criminal matters the appellate court shall authorize appeals and petitions for review at public expense on behalf of defendants who are "indigent," as defined by statute, in accordance with the rules and decisions of the appellate courts of Alaska, and where such proceedings are required to be provided by state courts by decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States. Where an appeal or petition for review at public expense is authorized by the court, the costs which shall be borne at public expense include those of providing counsel and of preparing a transcript and briefs.(2) If a defendant is allowed to proceed at public expense, the clerk of the appellate courts shall send the defendant a written notice and order, to the address provided under Appellate Rule 204(b), that(A) advises defendant that, if the defendant's conviction is not reversed, the defendant will be ordered to repay the prosecuting authority for the cost of appointed appellate counsel, in accordance with the schedule of costs set out in subparagraph 209(b)(6); and(B) orders the defendant to apply for permanent fund dividends every year in which the defendant qualifies for a dividend until the cost is paid in full.(3) A defendant authorized to proceed at public expense in the trial court is presumed to be entitled to appeal or petition for review at public expense.(4) Counsel appointed to represent a defendant in the trial court pursuant to Criminal Rule 39 shall remain as appointed counsel throughout an appeal or petition for review at public expense authorized under this paragraph and shall not be permitted to withdraw except upon the grounds authorized in Appellate Rule 517.1. An attorney appointed by the court under Administrative Rule 12(b)(1)(B) will be permitted to withdraw upon a showing that either the Public Defender Agency or the Office of Public Advocacy is able to represent the defendant in the appellate proceeding.(5) At the conclusion of the appellate proceeding, the clerk of the appellate courts shall enter judgment against the defendant for the cost of appointed appellate counsel unless the defendant's conviction was reversed by the appellate court. The amount of the judgment shall be determined by reference to the schedule in subparagraph 209(b)(6). Before entering judgment, the clerk shall mail, to the defendant's address of record, a notice that sets out the amount of the proposed judgment. The defendant may oppose entry of the judgment by filing a written opposition within 45 days after the date shown in the clerk's certificate of distribution on the notice. The opposition shall specifically set out the grounds for opposing entry of judgment. The prosecuting authority may oppose the amount of the judgment by filing a written opposition within the same deadline. Criminal Rule 39(c)(1)(B)-(C) and (c)(2) shall apply to judgments entered under this subparagraph.(6) The following schedule governs the cost of appointed appellate counsel: Type of Appellate Proceeding | Misdemeanor | Felony |
Sentence Appeal or Petition for Sentence Review | $ 250 | $ 500 |
Merit Appeal or Appeal from Post-Conviction Relief Proceedings | $ 750 | $ 1,500 |
Combined Merit Appeal and Sentence Appeal or Petition for Sentence Review | $ 1,000 | $ 2,000 |
Other Appellate Actions (Petition for Review, Petition for Hearing, etc.) | $ 500 | $ 1,000 |
(c) Costs. Costs, attorney's fees, damages, and interest may be allowed as in other cases, but the state shall not be liable for any of them.SCO 439 effective 11/15/1980; amended by SCO 554 effective 4/4/1983; by SCO 847 effective 1/15/1988; by SCO 1088 effective 7/1/1992; by SCO 1145 effective 10/1/1993; by SCO 1153 effective 7/15/1994; by SCO 1155 effective 7/15/1994; by SCO 1211 effective 7/15/1995; by SCO 1226 effective 1/22/1996; by SCO 1235 effective 7/15/1996; by SCO 1238 effective 7/15/1996; and by SCO 1868 effective 4/15/2016.AS 18.85.170(4) defines "indigent person" for purposes of public defender appointments as "a person who, at the time need is determined, does not have sufficient assets, credit, or other means to provide for payment of an attorney and all other necessary expenses of representation without depriving the party or the party's dependents of food, clothing, or shelter and who has not disposed of any assets since the commission of the offense with the intent or for the purpose of establishing eligibility for assistance under this chapter."
Note to SCO 1238 : Ch. 79 § 1 SLA 1995 amends AS 09 by adding a new chapter related to prisoner litigation against the state. AS 09.19.010 prohibits the court from accepting any filing in an action governed by AS 09.19 until the filing fee required by AS 09.19.010 has been paid.
Section 19 of chapter 79 amends Appellate Rule 209(a) to add subparagraph (a)(6) which states that the provisions of paragraph (a) do not apply in a prisoner's appeal that is governed by AS 09.19. Section 5 of this order is adopted for the sole reason that the legislature has mandated the amendment.