2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 18. Health, Safety, Housing, Human Rights, and Public Defender › Chapter 85. Public Defender Agency › Sec. 18.85.100. Right to representation, services, and facilities.

(a) An indigent person who is under formal charge of having committed a serious crime and the crime has been the subject of an initial appearance or subsequent proceeding, or is being detained under a conviction of a serious crime, or is on probation or parole, or is entitled to representation under the Supreme Court Delinquency or Child in Need of Aid Rules or at a review hearing under AS 47.12.105(d), or is isolated, quarantined, or required to be tested under an order issued under AS 18.15.355 - 18.15.395, or is a respondent in a proceeding under AS 47.30, is entitled
(1) to be represented, in connection with the crime or proceeding, by an attorney to the same extent as a person retaining an attorney is entitled; and
(2) to be provided with the necessary services and facilities of this representation, including investigation and other preparation.
(b) Subject to the provisions of AS 18.85.155, the attorney services and facilities and the court costs shall be provided at public expense to the extent that the person, at the time the court determines indigency, is unable to provide for payment without undue hardship. Appointment of any guardian ad litem or attorney shall be made under the terms of AS 25.24.310, to the extent that that section is not inconsistent with the requirements of this chapter.
(c) An indigent person is entitled to representation under (a) and (b) of this section for purposes of bringing a timely application for post-conviction relief under AS 12.72. An indigent person is not entitled to representation under (a) and (b) of this section for purposes of bringing
(1) an untimely or successive application for post-conviction relief under AS 12.72 or an untimely or successive motion for reduction or modification of sentence;
(2) a petition for review or certiorari from an appellate court ruling on an application for post-conviction relief; or
(3) an action or claim for habeas corpus in federal court attacking a state conviction.
(d) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, an indigent person is entitled to the representation and necessary services and facilities of representation as provided in (a) of this section when the prosecuting attorney or a law enforcement officer requests the court to provide representation to an indigent person under this section and the court finds that the provision of representation is necessary in the interests of justice.
(e) Subject to other provisions of this subsection, a person who is the natural parent, adoptive parent, or guardian of a child who is taken into emergency custody of the state under AS 47.10.142 may be represented at public expense and without a court order by an attorney employed by the Public Defender Agency in connection with the hearing held under AS 47.10.142(d). Representation in connection with the hearing may include investigation and other preparation before the hearing is held as well as representation at the hearing. Continued representation of the person by the Public Defender Agency after the hearing is held under AS 47.10.142(d) is contingent on satisfaction of the eligibility requirements of (a) - (d) of this section, the issuance of an appropriate court order, and compliance with the applicable laws and court rules relating to court-appointed counsel employed at the public's expense. If a person who was represented by the Public Defender Agency at public expense without a court order in connection with a hearing held under AS 47.10.142(d) is not later determined to be eligible for court-appointed counsel at public expense under applicable laws and court rules, the court shall assess against the represented person the cost to the Public Defender Agency of providing the representation. In this subsection, “guardian” means a natural person who is legally appointed guardian of the person of a child.
(f) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, an indigent person is entitled to the representation and necessary services and facilities of representation as provided in (a) of this section when the person is a witness who refuses or there is reason to believe will refuse to testify or provide other information based on the privilege against self-incrimination.
(g) An indigent person is entitled to representation under (a) and (b) of this section for purposes of bringing an application for post-conviction DNA testing under AS 12.73.