Indigent Defense
Kent County's program arises from the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission Act of 2013, which created the Commission (MIDC). The MIDC, in turn, has created standards for legal services provided to indigent criminal defendants. Our program implements and maintains services to meet those standards for the 63rd District and 17th Circuit Courts. Some of the services we maintain assist defendants in other district courts in the County.
Kent County's program provides holistic defense services:
- Services include legal representation and access to a social worker
- Other services, presuming demonstration of legal need, may include investigators and experts
Current standards implemented are 1 through 5, with attorney compensation meeting that of the proposed, but not adopted, standard 8.
Beginning in October 2022, Kent County will implement the newly adopted Indigency Determination standard.
Key Documents
- Standards
- Defendant FAQs - TBA
- Attorney FAQs - TBA