Adjustments made to $3 million distribution for Indigent Legal Services
NOVEMBER 13, 2024:
The South Dakota Office of Indigent Legal Services has revised the amount of money it's distributing to counties to pay for court appointed attorney fees for people who couldn't afford to pay for their own legal representation.
Since the Unified Judicial System's announcement in September 2024, four counties revised the numbers that they originally submitted, which resulted in a change to the distribution amounts for all counties
The data collected shows Hughes County has accrued a total debt of more than $819-thousand ($819,428.92) and was allocated about $96-thousand ($95,988.70).
In Stanley County, the data shows a debt of over $99,500 ($99,652.08) and they will get just over $11,600 ($11,673.34).
Brule County is getting over $20-thousand ($20,222.82); Gregory, more than $8400 ($8,467.74); Walworth, almost $12,500 ($12,429.74); and Edmunds over $1600 ($1,670.77).
The 2024 South Dakota Legislature appropriated $3 million to support counties in covering the cost of indigent legal services. In partnership with the South Dakota State Treasurer, the Commission gathered data on total expenditures for court-appointed attorneys, public defender offices and representation of abused and neglected children. These expenditures were certified by each county for fiscal year 2024 (July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024).
The South Dakota Unified Judicial System oversaw and administered distribution of the $3 million appropriation on behalf of the Commission.
SEPTEMBER 19, 2024:
The South Dakota Office of Indigent Legal Services is spending $3 million to reimburse counties for some of the dollars they've spent paying court appointed attorney fees for people who couldn't afford to pay for their own legal representation.
University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law Dean Neil Fulton chairs the Commission on Indigent Legal Services. He says in partnership with the state Treasurer, the Commission gathered data on total expenditures for court-appointed attorneys, public defender offices and representation of abused and neglected children.
The data collected shows Hughes County has accrued a total debt of more than $819-thousand ($819,428.92) and was allocated about $97-thousand ($97,051.22). In Stanley County, the data shows a debt of over $99,500 ($99,652.08) and they will get just over $11,800 ($11,802.56). Brule County is getting over $20-thousand; Gregory, more than $8500; Walworth, over $12,500; and Edmunds almost $1700.
Central South Dakota CountiesCourt-Appointed Attorney & Public Defender Offices Gross ExpendituresAbused & Neglected Children Gross ExpendituresTotal Gross ExpendituresTotal Funds Allocated$ 144,855.41$ 27,781.16$ 172,636.57$ 20,446.67$ 21,059.53$ 21,059.53$ 2,494.24$ 19,285.44$ 19,285.44$ 2,284.12$ 46,743.12$ 518.94$ 47,262.06$ 5,597.61$ 8,100.28$ 8,100.28$ 959.38$ 14,262.89$ 14,262.89$ 1,689.26$ 8,968.20$ 8,968.20$ 1,062.17$ 72,286.73$ 72,286.73$ 8,561.47$ 22,609.73$ 22,609.73$ 2,677.84$ 17,362.10$ 849.40$ 18,211.50$ 2,156.93$ 819,428.92$ 819,428.92$ 97,051.22$ 6,475.05$ 6,475.05$ 766.89$ 80,998.38$ 4,843.53$ 85,841.91$ 10,166.91$ 36,610.08$ 36,610.08$ 4,336.01$ 79,288.36$ 79,288.36$ 9,390.73$ 13,224.28$ 13,224.28$ 1,566.25$ 73,588.43$ 73,588.43$ 8,715.64$ 17,641.57$ 17,641.57$ 2,089.43$ 99,652.08$ 99,652.08$ 11,802.56$ 10,772.63$ 6,800.51$ 17,573.14$ 2,081.32$ 4,281.19$ 4,281.19$ 507.05$ 53,603.97$ 1,346.79$ 54,950.76$ 6,508.24$ 83,211.81$ 22,897.42$ 106,109.23$ 12,567.33$ 10,777.88$ 10,777.88$ 1,276.51Other South Dakota CountiesCourt-Appointed Attorney & Public Defender Offices Gross ExpendituresAbused & Neglected Children Gross ExpendituresTotal Gross ExpendituresTotal Funds Allocated$ 19,157.32$ 7,690.25$ 26,847.57$ 3,179.76$ 45,101.43$ 15,076.40$ 60,177.83$ 7,127.32$ 134,805.85$ 5,590.11$ 140,395.96$ 16,628.17Bon Homme$ 113,582.48$ 4,305.13$ 117,887.61$ 13,962.33$ 530,822.09$ 37,375.10$ 568,197.19$ 67,295.93$ 791,575.76$ 27,215.14$ 818,790.90$ 96,975.66$ 242,968.83$ 14,639.97$ 257,608.80$ 30,510.58Charles Mix$ 310,128.69$ 48,761.63$ 358,890.32$ 42,506.12$ 31,487.44$ 31,487.44$ 3,729.30$ 182,086.52$ 4,029.00$ 186,115.52$ 22,043.08$ 1,120,073.00$ 1,120,073.00$ 132,658.80$ 107,208.55$ 5,684.40$ 112,892.95$ 13,370.77$ 504,297.13$ 7,868.47$ 512,165.60$ 60,659.68$ 98,661.45$ 500.00$ 99,161.45$ 11,744.45$ 21,167.34$ 21,167.34$ 2,507.01$ 16,839.90$ 16,839.90$ 1,994.48Fall River$ 284,010.07$ 21,562.81$ 305,572.88$ 36,191.33$ 65,948.39$ 7,586.15$ 73,534.54$ 8,709.26$ 48,668.43$ 48,668.43$ 5,764.17$ 60,133.00$ 60,133.00$ 7,122.01$ 2,623.07$ 2,623.07$ 310.67$ 45,722.96$ 256.80$ 45,979.76$ 5,445.73$ 14,012.38$ 1,719.26$ 15,731.64$ 1,863.22$ 13,298.07$ 13,298.07$ 1,574.99$ 263,670.06$ 18,731.08$ 282,401.14$ 33,446.92$ 581,484.85$ 44,412.29$ 625,897.14$ 74,129.78$ 1,476,865.58$ 53,118.80$ 1,529,984.38$ 181,207.73$ 36,227.25$ 392.90$ 36,620.15$ 4,337.20$ 185,792.64$ 15,592.66$ 201,385.30$ 23,851.60$ 525,339.76$ 20,288.11$ 545,627.87$ 64,622.88$ 16,846.80$ 833.50$ 17,680.30$ 2,094.01$ 7,237,860.72$ 483,683.74$ 7,721,544.46$ 914,521.47$ 174,044.89$ 11,472.31$ 185,517.20$ 21,972.22Oglala Lakota$ 3,145.84$ 3,145.84$ 372.59$ 5,467,690.65$ 461,394.00$ 5,929,084.65$ 702,226.77$ 24,319.99$ 651.10$ 24,971.09$ 2,957.52$ 459,563.01$ 459,563.01$ 54,429.56$ 19,851.55$ 19,851.55$ 2,351.17$ 83,600.25$ 12,222.77$ 95,823.02$ 11,349.05$ 125,783.02$ 125,783.02$ 14,897.44$ 250,293.26$ 250,293.26$ 29,644.14$ 410,137.06$ 20,109.19$ 430,246.25$ 50,957.35Totals for all counties$23,911,985.39$1,417,800.82$25,329,786.21$3,000,000.00This year's (2024) state legislature appropriated the dollars which will be distributed in the coming weeks. Each county's dollar amount will be pro-rated so every county receives an equitable share, based on their expenditures for indigent defense.
Fulton says the expenditures were certified by each county for fiscal year 2024 (July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024) and the same percentage ratios applied to ensure consistent distribution of the $3 million. He says the South Dakota Unified Judicial System is overseeing and administering the distribution of the dollars.
