Even though the First Judicial District’s court leadership has asked that money paid to private lawyers who represent indigent defendants not represented by the Defender Association of Philadelphia be stripped out of its budget, Mayor Michael A. Nutter’s budget proposal released Thursday keeps that budget line in the court’s prospective budget for 2012-13.
“We’re seeking to move conflict counsel fees out of our budget back to the city because it’s an executive function, not a court function to pay indigent counsel attorneys,” FJD Court Administrator David Wasson said.
