Appointment of Counsel for Indigent Persons (5354XD) - Public Defender, State

This Iowa bill (5354XD) changes court procedures for appointing lawyers to indigent defendants in criminal cases. It requires courts to appoint noncontract attorneys when no contract attorney is available, changing current law from a permissive "may" to a mandatory "shall." The key provision mandates that court orders include a specific finding of unavailability of contract attorneys. The bill takes immediate effect upon enactment and directly affects indigent defendants who rely on court-appointed counsel.