Journal of Law and Criminal Justice

An Assessment of Compensation for Private Assigned Counsel in North Carolina
Marian R. Williams, Ph.D; Preston Johnson, B.S

Abstract
It is no surprise that indigent defense is not properly funded in the United States; this has been exacerbated by political fights, economic downturns, and a pandemic. The current study assesses compensation for private assigned counsel in North Carolina; in particular, the effect of compensation rate changes on the number of hours reported to the court, the amount of payment awarded by the court, and the length of disposition of cases. Results indicate that all of these variables are influenced by compensation rate changes in 2011 (in which rates were lowered) and 2022 (in which rates increased). It is concluded that private assigned counsel is torn between devoting enough time to their client's cases and maintaining a livelihood.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jlcj.v12a1