Panel de Selección de Defensores Públicos en Carolina del Sur

Explicación Simple

En Carolina del Sur, hay un grupo de abogados que eligen a los defensores públicos, quienes ayudan a personas que no pueden pagar un abogado. Cada condado tiene representación en este grupo, y se basa en cuántas personas viven allí y cuánto dinero tienen para la defensa pública.

Es como un equipo de fútbol donde cada ciudad envía a un jugador. Cuantas más personas hay en la ciudad, más jugadores puede enviar, pero cada ciudad siempre debe tener al menos uno en el campo.

Ejemplo Práctico

Imagina que en un condado llamado Valle Verde viven 10,000 personas y en otro, llamado Río Azul, viven 30,000. Cuando se forma el Panel de Selección de Defensores Públicos, Valle Verde envía un abogado y Río Azul envía tres, así se asegura que todos los condados tengan voz en la elección del defensor público.

Texto Original del Estatuto (Inglés)

SECTION 17-3-510. Circuit Public Defender Selection Panel; county representation; nomination of Circuit Public Defender; election by the Commission on Indigent Defense. (A) There is created in each judicial circuit in the State a Circuit Public Defender Selection Panel, the membership of which is composed of, and must be elected by, the active, licensed attorneys who reside within the counties of each judicial circuit. Each county in each judicial circuit must be represented by at least one member and the remaining members must be determined by equal weighting of county population based on the most recent decennial census and the most recent annual county appropriations to public defender operations according to the following formula: (1) percentage of distribution of population plus the percentage of distribution of appropriations for public defender operations divided by two and rounded to the nearest whole number; (2) the weighted values of each county multiplied by the number of remaining members in each Circuit Public Defender Selection Panel determines the number of additional members each county must have on the panel. Judicial circuits with three or less counties must have five members. Judicial circuits with four counties must have seven members. Judicial circuits with five counties must have nine members. (B) A solicitor, assistant solicitor, an employee of a solicitor's office, or an employee of the South Carolina Prosecution Coordination Commission may not serve as a member of a Circuit Public Defender Selection Panel. Members of a Circuit Public Defender Selection Panel must reside in the judicial circuit in which they serve. Circuit Public Defender Selection Panel members shall serve for a term of five years. A vacancy for an appointed member must be in th