AUGUSTA - Rep. Dawn Hill, D-York, has been appointed to the Maine Judicial Branch Indigent Legal Services Commission by Chief Justice Leigh I. Saufley of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.
The commission's initial meeting was held June 13 at the Maine Judicial Center in Augusta.
The commission, led by Senior Associate Justice Robert W. Clifford, will examine how Maine presently provides constitutionally required legal services for those who can't afford them, and suggest ways to improve the support for and availability of indigent legal services.
Both the U.S. Constitution and the Maine Constitution require that a person who is deemed indigent and faces the possibility of jail time be afforded representation at the State's expense.
"I am honored to have been asked to work on this issue with judges, prosecutors, legislators and private sector attorneys from around the state," Hill stated after her appointment was announced. "Given the enthusiasm and ideas shared by all at the first meeting, I am confident that the commission will accomplish its goal and present meaningful recommendations for improvement and sustainability to all three branches of government for consideration."
The commission, which was created in cooperation with the judicial, executive, and legislative branches, will meet over the next several months and report its findings to the Supreme Judicial Court by Nov. 14.
One of the most significant parts of the report is expected to be the investigation into alternative methods of organization and funding as Maine's Judicial Branch experienced a shortfall in its budget for indigent services earlier this year.
Additional information about Maine's Judicial Branch Indigent Legal Services Commission is available at www.maine.gov.
