Opinion ID: 1931975
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Basis for a Judicial Determination of Indigency

Text: A defendant is considered indigent when he is unable to retain legal counsel without impairing his financial ability to provide economic necessities of life for himself and his family. Courts have had great difficulty in setting specific rules defining indigency. Various courts have made statements, in general terms, advancing broad criteria to determine what constitutes indigency of the accused for the purpose of entitling him to appointment of counsel. See Annotation, Determination of Indigency of Accused Entitling Him to Appointment of Counsel, 51 A.L.R.3d 1108 (1973). In this case, the Public Defender's Office apparently concluded that Potter was not eligible for its services solely based on his estimate of his earned income. [3] There is authority for the proposition that evidence of earnings alone may support a determination that indigency does not exist. See United States v. Allen, 596 F.2d 227, 232 (7th Cir.) (defendant with $25,000 annual income found not indigent), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 871, 100 S.Ct. 149, 62 L.Ed.2d 97 (1979). However, evidence of earnings is not always dispositive. Potter's representations that his salary was $225 per week and that he was the father of three minor children required additional inquiry by the trial court. Other factors which should generally be taken into consideration by the trial court are the additional resources which may be available to the defendant, including real and personal property, bank accounts, social security payments, and unemployment or other benefits. The court must also take into consideration the defendant's financial obligations, including normal living expenses, outstanding debts, and the number and age of his dependents. See State v. Richter, 221 Neb. 487, 378 N.W.2d 175, 180 (1985); State v. Richter, 225 Neb. 837, 408 N.W.2d 717, 719-20 (1987). After conducting reasonable inquiry into all of the foregoing circumstances, it is essential to fairness and to any meaningful form of appellate review that specific findings of fact be entered to support the determination of nonindigency and the denial of appointed counsel. See State v. Lathe, 132 Vt. 631, 326 A.2d 147, 149 (1974). [4] Cf. Wade v. Lockhart, 763 F.2d 999, 1001 (8th Cir.1985) (defendant who claimed indigency and inability to use land value to retain counsel on appeal improperly denied appointed counsel without hearing on ability to pay).