Opinion ID: 1671889
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: State Funded Auxiliary Services

Text: Defendant next contends that despite the presence of retained counsel, he should still be eligible for State funded auxiliary services based on his indigent status. Part of the State's obligation in providing effective assistance of counsel to indigent defendants is the obligation to provide the indigent defendant's counsel with the basic tools of an adequate defense at no cost to defendant. State v. Touchet, 93-2839 (La.9/6/94); 642 So.2d 1213, 1215 (citing to Britt v. North Carolina, 404 U.S. 226, 227, 92 S.Ct. 431, 433, 30 L.Ed.2d 400 (1971)). An indigent defendant seeking State funding for auxiliary services must establish that there is a reasonable probability that such services will assist the defense and that denial would result in an unfair trial. Touchet, 642 So.2d at 1216. The trial court makes this determination in accordance with the procedure set down in Touchet, 642 So.2d at 1221. In view of the above authority, we find that the retention of private counsel from a collateral source at no cost to defendant does not rob the defendant of his right to a fair trial and thus defendant may be entitled to State funding for auxiliary services. The presence of retained counsel, be it from a collateral source or pro bono, should not work a hardship against an indigent accused who otherwise would be entitled to State funded auxiliary services. The determinative question is the defendant's indigency, not whether he has derived any assistance from collateral sources. Of course, a defendant who retains counsel at his own expense has not derived that benefit from a collateral source and therefore his indigent status must be questioned. Therefore, the defendant here, having private counsel provided from a collateral source, may still be entitled to State funding for auxiliary services provided he can meet the requirements of Touchet. [1] It has been argued that such a ruling may lead to future abuses, such as a defendant expending an inordinate amount for private counsel then claiming indigency to access State funds. [2] However, the instant case is not one where defendant has rendered himself indigent by an unreasonable expenditure of his funds in retaining private counsel. The defendant here has been indigent throughout and his status is not in dispute. Nonetheless, in such a case of potential abuse, the local indigent defense board could challenge the defendant's indigent status and, if successful, the trial court would declare defendant no longer indigent and thus ineligible for State funded services. State v. Bourque, 95-0280 (La.4/21/95); 653 So.2d 548 (per curiam).