Opinion ID: 1931975
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Need for Independent Judicial Determination of Indigency

Text: Although prior to an arraignment the determination of indigency may be made by the Public Defender, the Delaware statute expressly provides that after an arraignment a determination of indigency shall be made by the court. 29 Del.C. 4602(b). Section 4602(b) of Title 29 of the Delaware Code states that: Before arraignment the determination of indigency may be made by the Public Defender. At or after arraignment the determination shall be made by the court. Id. In this case, the Superior Court found that the standards to be applied by the court in determining indigency should be the same as the standards applied by the Public Defender. The standards used by the Public Defender's Office may be helpful to the Superior Court, but they cannot be conclusive. Moreover, in this case, the standards used by the Public Defender's Office to determine indigency were never made a part of the record. Therefore, the application of those standards to Potter's financial circumstances for the purpose of declaring him ineligible for representation by the Public Defender is not a part of the record. The trial court's duty to conduct a hearing and to make a record of its determination as to indigency requires an independent hearing by the trial court. See Stacey v. State, 358 A.2d at 380. An evidentiary hearing on the record did not occur in Potter's case. Cf. Kitchens v. Smith, 401 U.S. 847, 848-49, 91 S.Ct. 1089, 1090, 28 L.Ed.2d 519 (1971) (per curiam).