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Rep. Mark Cardenas’ bill, HB2151, that would require all money from the Indigent Defense Fund to go toward paying public defenders each year, passed on a unanimous vote of the House Local and International Affairs Committee, on Wednesday.
HB 2151 states that the “sole purpose of the Fund is to provide state aid to the county public defender, legal defender and contract indigent defense counsel.” The bill would require the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) to distribute the fund monies each fiscal year.
“Currently A.R.S. § 41-2409 requires ACJC to distribute fund monies to each county dependent upon county population and the number of felony filings in each counties’ superior court,” according to the legislative overview. “The fund consists of appropriated monies, a percentage of monies collected by the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals for the payment of filing fees and a portion of the seven percent surcharge collected by the courts on every fine, penalty and forfeiture imposed.
| Representative | Vote |
| Isela Blanc | Y |
| César Chávez | Y |
| Rosanna Gabaldón | Y |
| Drew John | Y |
| Becky A. Nutt | Y |
| Todd A. Clodfelter | Y |
| Tony Rivero | Y |