Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §19.2-163 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§19.2-163. Compensation of court-appointed counsel.
Upon submission to the court, for which appointed
representation is provided, of a detailed accounting of the time expended for
that representation, made within 30 days of the completion of all proceedings
in that court, counsel appointed to represent an indigent accused in a criminal
case shall be compensated for his services on an hourly basis at a rate set by
the Supreme Court of Virginia in a total amount not to exceed the amounts
specified in the following schedule in this section, or other such
amount as may be provided by law. Such amounts shall be allowed in any case
wherein counsel conducts the defense of a single charge against the indigent
accused through to its conclusion or a charge of violation of probation at any
hearing conducted under §19.2-306; thereafter, compensation for additional
charges against the same accused also conducted by the same counsel shall be
allowed on the basis of additional time expended as to such additional charges:
1. In a district court, except as provided in subdivisions
2 and 3, a sum not to exceed $120 $240, provided that,
notwithstanding the foregoing limitation, the court in its discretion,
and subject to guidelines issued by the Executive Secretary of the Supreme
Court of Virginia, may waive the limitation of fees up to (i) an
additional $120 when the effort expended, the time reasonably necessary for the
particular representation, the novelty and difficulty of the issues, or other
circumstances warrant such a waiver; or (ii) an amount up to $650 to
defend, in the case of a juvenile, an offense that would be a felony if
committed by an adult that may be punishable by confinement in the state
correctional facility for a period of more than 20 years, or a charge of
violation of probation for such offense, when the effort expended, the time
reasonably necessary for the particular representation, the novelty and
difficulty of the issues, or other circumstances warrant such a waiver; or
(iii) such other amount as may be provided by law. Such amount shall be allowed
in any case wherein counsel conducts the defense of a single charge against the
indigent through to its conclusion or a charge of violation of probation at any
hearing conducted under §19.2-306; thereafter, compensation for additional
charges against the same accused also conducted by the same counsel shall be
allowed on the basis of additional time expended as to such additional charges
for a charge of violation of probation for a violation of any misdemeanor
charge, a sum not to exceed $180;
2. For misdemeanor charges in a district court for violations of §18.2-266, 18.2-266.1, 18.2-270, or 46.2-341.24, a sum not to exceed $240, provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing limitation, the court in its discretion and subject to guidelines issued by the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia may waive the limitation of fees up to an additional $120 when the effort expended, the time reasonably necessary for the particular representation, the novelty and difficulty of the issues, or other circumstances warrant such a waiver or for a charge of violation of probation for a violation of any misdemeanor charge specified in this subdivision, a sum not to exceed $180;
3. For juvenile cases in a district court, a sum not to exceed $445, provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing limitation, the court in its discretion and subject to guidelines issued by the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia may waive the limitation of fees up to an additional $120 when the effort expended, the time reasonably necessary for the particular representation, the novelty and difficulty of the issues, or other circumstances warrant such a waiver;
4. In a circuit court (i) to defend a Class 1 felony
charge, compensation for each appointed attorney in an amount deemed reasonable
by the court; (ii) to defend a felony charge that may be punishable by
confinement in the state correctional facility for a period of more than 20
years, or a charge of violation of probation for such offense, a sum
not to exceed $1,235 any felony charge listed in §18.2-35, 18.2-36,
18.2-36.1, 18.2-41, 18.2-51, 18.2-67.3, 18.2-79, 18.2-80, 18.2-370, 18.2-370.1,
or 18.2-371.1, a sum not to exceed $1,320, provided that, notwithstanding
the foregoing limitation, the court in its discretion, and subject to
guidelines issued by the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia,
may waive the limitation of fees up to an additional $850 when the effort
expended, the time reasonably necessary for the particular representation, the
novelty and difficulty of the issues, or other circumstances warrant such a
waiver; (iii) to defend any other felony charge, or a charge of violation of
probation for such offense except those listed in clause (i) or (ii),
a sum not to exceed $445 $525, provided that, notwithstanding the
foregoing limitation, the court in its discretion, and subject to
guidelines issued by the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia,
may waive the limitation of fees up to an additional $155 $445
when the effort expended, the time reasonably necessary for the particular
representation, the novelty and difficulty of the issues, or other
circumstances warrant such a waiver; and (iv) for a charge of
violation of probation for a violation of any felony charge, except Class 1
felonies, a sum not to exceed $445; (v) in the circuit court only, to
defend any misdemeanor charge punishable by confinement in jail or a charge
of violation of probation for such offense, a sum not to exceed $158
$440; (vi) for a charge of violation of probation for a violation of any
misdemeanor charge, a sum not to exceed $180; or (vii) for an appeal of a
juvenile adjudication from a district court, a sum not to exceed $445. In
the event any case is required to be retried due to a mistrial for any cause or
reversed on appeal, the court may allow an additional fee for each case in an
amount not to exceed the amounts allowable in the initial trial. In the event
counsel is appointed to defend an indigent charged with a felony that is
punishable as a Class 1 felony, each attorney appointed shall continue to
receive compensation as provided in this paragraph for defending such a felony,
regardless of whether the charge is reduced or amended to a lesser felony,
prior to final disposition of the case. In the event counsel is appointed to
defend an indigent charged with any other felony, such counsel shall receive
compensation as provided in this paragraph for defending such a felony,
regardless of whether the charge is reduced or amended to a misdemeanor or
lesser felony prior to final disposition of the case in either the district
court or circuit court.
Counsel appointed to represent an indigent accused in a criminal case, who are not public defenders, may request an additional waiver exceeding the amounts provided for in this section. The request for any additional amount shall be submitted to the presiding judge, in writing, with a detailed accounting of the time spent and the justification for the additional amount. The presiding judge shall determine, subject to guidelines issued by the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, whether the request for an additional amount is justified in whole or in part, by considering the effort expended and the time reasonably necessary for the particular representation, and, if so, shall forward the request as approved to the chief judge of the circuit court or district court for approval. If the presiding judge determines that the request for an additional amount is not justified in whole or in part, such presiding judge shall provide to the requesting attorney, in writing, the reasons for such determination and shall, if such request has been approved in part, include a copy of such writing when forwarding the request as approved to the chief judge of the circuit court or district court for approval. If the chief judge of the circuit court or district court, upon review of the request as approved, determines, subject to the guidelines issued by the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, that any part of the request for an additional amount is not justified, such chief judge shall provide to the requesting attorney and to the presiding judge, in writing, the reason for such determination.
If at any time the funds appropriated to pay for waivers under this section become insufficient, the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia shall so certify to the courts and no further waivers shall be approved.
The circuit or district court shall direct the payment of such reasonable expenses incurred by such court-appointed counsel as it deems appropriate under the circumstances of the case. Counsel appointed by the court to represent an indigent charged with repeated violations of the same section of the Code of Virginia, with each of such violations arising out of the same incident, occurrence, or transaction, shall be compensated in an amount not to exceed the fee prescribed for the defense of a single charge, if such offenses are tried as part of the same judicial proceeding. The trial judge shall consider any guidelines established by the Supreme Court but shall have the sole discretion to fix the amount of compensation to be paid counsel appointed by the court to defend a felony charge that is punishable as a Class 1 felony.
The circuit or district court shall direct that the foregoing payments shall be paid out by the Commonwealth, if the defendant is charged with a violation of a statute, or by the county, city, or town, if the defendant is charged with a violation of a county, city, or town ordinance, to the attorney so appointed to defend such person as compensation for such defense.
Counsel representing a defendant charged with a Class 1 felony may submit to the court, on a monthly basis, a statement of all costs incurred and fees charged by him in the case during that month. Whenever the total charges as are deemed reasonable by the court for which payment has not previously been made or requested exceed $1,000, the court may direct that payment be made as otherwise provided in this section.
When such directive is entered upon the order book of the court, the Commonwealth, county, city, or town, as the case may be, shall provide for the payment out of its treasury of the sum of money so specified. If the defendant is convicted, the amount allowed by the court to the attorney appointed to defend him shall be taxed against the defendant as a part of the costs of prosecution and, if collected, the same shall be paid to the Commonwealth, or the county, city, or town, as the case may be. In the event that counsel for the defendant requests a waiver of the limitations on compensation, the court shall assess against the defendant an amount equal to the pre-waiver compensation limit specified in this section for each charge for which the defendant was convicted. An abstract of such costs shall be docketed in the judgment docket and execution lien book maintained by such court.
Any statement submitted by an attorney for payments due him for indigent representation or for representation of a child pursuant to § 16.1-266 shall, after the submission of the statement, be forwarded forthwith by the clerk to the Commonwealth, county, city, or town, as the case may be, responsible for payment.
For the purposes of this section, the defense of a case may be considered conducted through to its conclusion and an appointed counsel entitled to compensation for his services in the event an indigent accused fails to appear in court subject to a capias for his arrest or a show cause summons for his failure to appear and remains a fugitive from justice for one year following the issuance of the capias or the summons to show cause, and appointed counsel has appeared at a hearing on behalf of the accused.
Effective July 1, 2007, the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia shall track and report the number and category of offenses charged involving adult and juvenile offenders in cases in which court-appointed counsel is assigned. The Executive Secretary shall also track and report the amounts paid by waiver above the initial cap to court-appointed counsel. The Executive Secretary shall provide these reports to the Governor, members of the House Committee on Appropriations, and members of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations on a quarterly basis.