SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 79

(By Senators Palumbo, Beach, Browning, Fanning, Jenkins, Klempa, Minard, Snyder, Tucker, Williams, Wills, Barnes, K. Facemyer and Nohe) [Originating in the Committee on the Judiciary]

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study the need for establishing a program authorizing the executive director of Public Defender Services to manage and otherwise have central authority and control over public defender corporations.

    Whereas, Article twenty-one of Chapter twenty-nine of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, currently permits public defender corporations of all the judicial circuits to be centralized under the Executive Director of Public Defender Services; and

    Whereas, The Legislature believes that it is in the State’s best interest to study ways to improve the quality of legal representation for indigent criminal defendants and in child abuse and neglect matters; and

    Whereas, it being in the State’s best interest to assure the prudent expenditure of state funds; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is requested to study the need for establishing a program authorizing the executive director of Public Defender Services to manage and otherwise have central authority and control over public defender corporations; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance shall report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2012, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.