All data is current as of 2013, unless otherwise noted.
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How the right to counsel is administered and structured
State commission: none
Branch of government: executive
The Iowa Office of the State Public Defender is a statewide, state-funded executive branch agency that oversees representation services in all 99 counties for appeals, felonies, misdemeanors, juvenile delinquency and dependency cases.
How the right to counsel is funded
Percentage of state funding: 100%
Percentage of local funding: 0%
Percentage of alternate funding: 0%
The methods used to provide public counsel
The Iowa State Public Defender Office provides most direct services through 20 branch offices, with each office staffed by full-time attorneys and support staff. The agency also contracts with more than 1,000 private attorneys and several nonprofit organizations throughout Iowa to provide court-appointed representation in counties without public defender offices and in conflict matters.
Legal authority
Iowa Constitution, art. 1, § 10
Iowa Code, §§ 13B.1 through 13B.12 (public defenders), and §§ 815.1 through 815.14 (indigent defense compensation and fees)
Source of data: original research conducted by Sixth Amendment Center staff.
