Indigent counsel; increase compensation for.

Higher pay caps for appointed defense lawyers

Beginning July 1, 2025, Mississippi raises pay caps for lawyers appointed to defend people who cannot afford counsel. The circuit-court cap rises from $1,000 to $3,000 per case, including cases appealed to that court. For cases not appealed to or originating in a court of record, the cap rises from $200 to $600. In capital cases, where two lawyers may be appointed, the per-case cap rises from $2,000 to $6,000. The separate cap for appointed lawyers handling Mississippi Supreme Court appeals rises from $1,000 to $3,000 per case. These are maximum fees, not guaranteed payments; the appropriate judge must approve them. Lawyers must itemize their time and actual expenses, which remain reimbursable in addition to fees. The county where the prosecution began pays approved fees and expenses from its general fund, increasing its potential costs. The section expires July 1, 2028, unless the Legislature extends or reenacts it.