Montgomery, AL – The Alabama House has passed a bill that revamps the state's system of providing defense lawyers for defendants who can't afford to pay their legal bills.
The House Wednesday voted 78-14 for the bill. The House version changed the way the new system would be administered, which means the bill has to return to the Alabama Senate and could end up in a conference committee.
The Senate sponsor of the legislation, Republican Sen. Cam Ward of Alabaster has predicted it would save the state about $23.5 million a year.
The bill calls for lawyers to be paid $70 an hour for representing a client who can't afford an attorney. It saves money by preventing attorneys from charging for overhead costs such as power bills or rent.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)