Indigent Defense Administration

The Indigent Defense Program

The Indigent Defense Program provides defense attorneys at public expense to qualified persons charged with criminal offenses in any of the Courts within the Clayton Judicial Circuit. Qualified persons include those indigent criminal defendants who are:

• Facing felony charges in the Superior Court; or
• Facing other criminal charges in the lower courts in which state law provides for a penalty involving loss of liberty in the event of conviction.

The Indigent Defense Administrator maintains a list of attorneys practicing within Clayton County who agree to accept assignments to represent indigent defendants. The actual assignment of cases to attorneys on this panel is made by an alphabetical rotation as qualified applications are received.

A person charged with or arrested for a crime in the Clayton Judicial Circuit may request the appointment of a defense attorney at any appearance before any judicial officer of the Circuit. Any defendant whose case has been bound over to the Superior Court may submit an application at the Circuit Public Defender’s Office, 146 N. McDonough Street, Jonesboro, Georgia 30236.

After submitting an application, defendants should allow 1-2 business days for the determination of qualification and the appointment of an attorney. After that time, defendants should contact the Indigent Defense Administration at 678-479-5339 to determine the status of their application and the name and phone number of their assigned attorney if they are qualified. Thereafter, defendants should make an appointment with their court appointed attorney to discuss their case. Defendants who are incarcerated should expect to be contacted by the court appointed attorney either at the jail or at their next court appearance.

State Court Conflict Panel

The Office of Indigent Defense is currently holding open enrollment for the 2021 State Court Conflict Panel. If you are an attorney and have an office in Clayton County and wish to join, please download the application and submit it to the Office of Indigent Defense. All applications must be received or post marked on or before November 30, 2022. If you have any questions please contact Cierra Kimbrough at (678) 479-5339.

Indigent Defense Cases with Attorney Claims Submitted

(Superior, State and Magistrate Court)

These reports are provided for the information of the public and those governmental agencies concerned. They provide, in summary form, a record of activities and expenditures associated with the delivery of criminal defense services to qualified indigent persons within the Clayton Judicial Circuit during the indicated periods.

• Summary Report for June 30, 2009

State Court-Conflict Attorney Application

Effective March 1, 2014, the State Court of Clayton County maintains an active list of attorneys to represent defendants in conflict cases. Applications to the Conflict Panel are accepted each year during Open Enrollment. Open Enrollment begins the first day of October and closes the last business day of November. Attorneys interested should complete the application provided by the Office of Indigent Defense and submit it to the Office of Court Administration during the Open Enrollment time period. If approved by Order of the Court, the attorney will be admitted to the Panel effective January 1^st of the new year.