Indigent Defense

Overview

The purpose of Indigent Defense is to serve and supply indigent defendants in pending criminal cases with legal counsel. This is accomplished by the completion of a financial legal affidavit by which indigence is determined. The Indigent Defense team provides the courts with the results of the interview with the appropriate orders for their signature and the filing of the same.

The Indigent Defense team serves Superior, State, Juvenile, and Magistrate Court.

Attorney Information

State Court Invoices must be submitted within 60 days from the closure of the case or stand-in date for duty.

If case is resolved through Pretrial diversion, the attorney must wait to send invoice until the Pretrial diversion is complete.

A 10% reduction will result in every month the invoice is late.

How to Apply for an Attorney on an Open Case

All applicants must apply in person for an attorney through the Indigent Defense office located at the Hall County Courthouse on the second floor. Walk-in applicants are accepted from 8:00 -4:30, Monday- Friday with a valid picture ID. Please note that only the defendant on the case can complete an application for an attorney.

Staff Contacts

Cyndi Hurst
Court Operations Division Director
Elisabeth Holitzner
Director
(770) 531-7087

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Frequently Asked Questions

Our goal is to provide the citizens of Hall and Dawson Counties the opportunity to apply for court appointed counsel for Criminal and Juvenile dependency matters.

  • Criminal matters pending in the Superior Court of Hall and Dawson County.
  • Criminal matters pending in the State Court of Hall County.
  • Juvenile dependency matters pending in the Juvenile court of Hall and Dawson County.
  • Please visit our office on the 2nd floor of the Hall County Courthouse, call our office to apply by phone, or fill out the application below and return it to our office.
  • For Dawson County Criminal matters, visit the Public Defender’s Office in Dawson County and you will be able to make application there (1 Courthouse Square, Dawsonville, GA 30534).
  • Application hours: Monday through Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm.
  • The application takes approximately 15-30 minutes to fill out.
  • The person for which the charges are pending is the only one that can submit an application. If you need assistance, someone from our office will assist you with the paperwork.
  • Our office provides a Spanish interpreter onsite for applicants only. If you need an interpreter for the application process in any other language, please call our office and we will arrange for special interpretive services for the application process only. For other interpretive matters, please visit Interpretive Services Department.
  • You will get a letter in the mail updating you on the status of your application.
  • If you are denied a court appointed attorney, you can reapply after 60 days from your 1st application date.
  • If you do not wish to wait the 60 days to re-apply or if you know you will still not qualify. You can work on the “pro se” packet (link to document here) and possibly be re-considered appointment of attorney. This packet only applies to cases pending in Superior Court.
  • If you are in jail and your application was denied, your status will be revisited if you are still in jail after 30 days.
  • Any Civil matters: Divorces, Legitimations, custody, name changes, adoptions, evictions, personal civil matters, or if you are the victim in a criminal matter.
  • Appeals or motions to “withdraw plea” pending in State Court.
  • Charges pending in Gainesville Municipal Court, Oakwood, Flowery Branch, or other municipalities.
  • County ordinance violations.
  • Immigration matters.
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