---
title: Title 17, Chapter 12. Legal Defense for Indigents
collection: code
id: code:chapter:17-12
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/title/17/chapter/12
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12.md
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-11.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-13.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
heading: LEGAL DEFENSE FOR INDIGENTS
title_heading: CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
section_count: 49
full_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12.md?full=1
---

# Title 17, Chapter 12. Legal Defense for Indigents

Title 17. Criminal Procedure

49 sections. Each line is `citation, catchline, status, URL`; the text of every section, in order, is at https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12.md?full=1 (capped, with a pointer to continue).

- 17-12-1, Short title; Georgia Public Defender Council; responsibilities, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-1.md
- 17-12-2, Definitions, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-2.md
- 17-12-3, Council created; membership, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-3.md
- 17-12-4, Authority of council; annual audit, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-4.md
- 17-12-5, Director; qualifications; powers and responsibilities, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-5.md
- 17-12-6, Assistance of council to public defenders, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-6.md
- 17-12-7, Councilmembers; responsibilities; voting; removal; quorum; meetings; officers; expenses, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-7.md
- 17-12-8, Approval by council of programs for representation of indigents; public access to policies and standards, repealed (no version in force today), https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-8.md
- 17-12-9, Continuing legal education for public defenders and staff, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-9.md
- 17-12-10, Annual reporting, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-10.md
- 17-12-10.1, Legislative oversight committee created; membership; audits, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-10.1.md
- 17-12-10.2, Civil liability, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-10.2.md
- 17-12-11, Mental health advocacy division; duties, responsibilities, and management, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-11.md
- 17-12-12, Georgia capital defender division; duties, responsibilities, and management, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-12.md
- 17-12-12.1, Payment of attorney in event of conflict of interest in capital cases; number of attorneys appointed; county governing authority’s financial responsibility; expenses, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-12.1.md
- 17-12-13, Effective date of article, repealed (no version in force today), https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-13.md
- 17-12-14, Applicability of article, repealed (no version in force today), https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-14.md
- 17-12-19.1, , repealed through 17-12-19.14 (no version in force today), https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-19.1.md
- 17-12-20, Public defender selection panel for each circuit; appointment of public defender; removal; vacancies, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-20.md
- 17-12-21, Qualifications for public defender position, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-21.md
- 17-12-22, Procedure for appointment of attorneys for indigent defendants in event of public defender’s conflict of interest; identification of conflict, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-22.md
- 17-12-23, Cases in which public defender representation required; timing of representation; juvenile divisions; contracts with local governments, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-23.md
- 17-12-24, Financial eligibility for indigent defense services representation; operation of public defender’s office, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-24.md
- 17-12-25, Salary of public defender; private practice prohibited, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-25.md
- 17-12-25.1, Accountability court supplement, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-25.1.md
- 17-12-26, Budget of the council, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-26.md
- 17-12-27, Appointment of assistant public defenders; salary; promotions, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-27.md
- 17-12-28, Appointment of investigator; role and responsibilities; compensation; promotions, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-28.md
- 17-12-29, Employment of supplemental personnel; compensation, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-29.md
- 17-12-30, Classification of personnel; responsibilities; compensation; local supplements, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-30.md
- 17-12-31, Employment of additional personnel, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-31.md
- 17-12-32, Contracting with the council for personnel paid by local government, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-32.md
- 17-12-33, Assistant public defenders’ private practice of law or concurrent judicial service prohibited; admission to bar in Georgia, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-33.md
- 17-12-34, Pro rata sharing of expenses and resources by counties in each circuit, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-34.md
- 17-12-35, Acceptance of other funding, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-35.md
- 17-12-36, Alternative delivery system; annual review of operations by council; record keeping, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-36.md
- 17-12-37, Effective date of article, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-37.md
- 17-12-40, Definitions, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-40.md
- 17-12-41, Assistance of public defender by third-year law student or staff instructor, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-41.md
- 17-12-42, Judge may prescribe type of assistance provided by law student or staff instructor; certification by law school dean, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-42.md
- 17-12-43, Clerk of court to maintain records; limited period of assistance, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-43.md
- 17-12-44, Exception to qualification requirements for public defender or assistant public defender, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-44.md
- 17-12-45, Effective date of article, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-45.md
- 17-12-50, Definitions, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-50.md
- 17-12-51, Repayment of attorney’s fees as condition of probation, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-51.md
- 17-12-52, Recovery of payment or reimbursement by a county or municipality, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-52.md
- 17-12-80, Verification of indigency required; procedure; timing of notification of eligibility, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-80.md
- 17-12-100, , repealed through 17-12-108 (no version in force today), https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-100.md
- 17-12-120, , repealed through 17-12-128 (no version in force today), https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-120.md