Subject:
Court-Appointed Attorneys to Provide Documents to JAC for Payment On several occasions the Justice Administrative Commission (JAC) has received copies of motions and court orders on attorney's fees from the courts or clerks in many different circuits. JAC requests that these documents not be sent to JAC by the courts and clerks. Court-appointed attorneys are required by the policies and procedures of the JAC to provide JAC with certain documentation including vouchers, motions, court orders, invoices, receipts, affidavits and etcetera necessary to support claims for payment of fees, costs and expenses to themselves or directly to due process service providers. Payment will be delayed until the attorney provides the required documentation. It is appropriate for JAC to obtain these documents from the court-appointed attorneys as the documents are in their possession and they have an interest in assuring that JAC has everything necessary for payment. It is not necessary for the courts or the clerks to provide JAC copies of motions or court orders on attorney's fees in order for the attorneys to be paid. In fact, when JAC receives these documents from the courts and clerks, it results in extra work as it creates an element of uncertainty and each one must be reviewed to determine whether it is a duplicate or modification of a document that the attorney may have already provided (or will provide at a later date). Thank you for your assistance in this matter. Stephen M. Presnell, General Counsel |