State District 44 Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, has been appointed by Senate President Pro Tem David Long, R-Fort Wayne, to serve on the Indiana Public Defender Commission.

The commission recommends state standards for indigent defense in capital and noncapital cases, adopts salary guidelines and fee schedules for individual county reimbursement eligibility and reviews and approves requests for reimbursement in capital cases from counties.

The commission consists of 11 members, including four members from the Indiana General Assembly, and meets quarterly to authorize reimbursements and discuss issues related to providing indigent criminal defense.

The commission is responsible for:

• Making recommendations to the Indiana Supreme Court concerning standards for indigent defense services provided for defendants against whom the state has sought the death sentence, including selection and qualifications of attorneys to represent indigent defendants at public expense.
• Adopting guidelines and standards for indigent defense services under which counties are eligible for reimbursement, including determining indigency.
• Making recommendations concerning the delivery of indigent defense services in Indiana.

Information: in.gov/publicdefender