ATLANTA (WALB) – The Georgia Supreme Court overturned a ruling by an Irwin County court that the Georgia Indigent Defense Act does not provide the pro bono attorney who represents Ryan Alexander Duke with state funding for defense experts and one Get investigators.
“Contrary to the Court’s conclusion, the Indigent Defense Act allows a needy defendant to receive such additional defense services through a contract between a pro bono attorney and either the Georgia Public Defender Council or the appropriate public defender,” Chief Justice Harold Melton wrote Majority in the 8-1 decision on Monday.
The court at issue in this pre-trial appeal related to the death of Tara Grinstead in 2005 was looking at whether the Georgian Urgent Defense Law of 2003 allows public funds to pay defense experts and investigators if a defendant is represented by private lawyers who provide legal services free of charge, according to the state’s highest court.
This is the second time Duke has appealed the matter to the Georgia Supreme Court, which is referring the case back to court.
More information on the Tara Grinstead case can be found here.
Copyright 2021 WALB. All rights reserved.
