Georgia Code
Article 2 - Public Defenders
§ 17-12-25. Salary of Public Defender; Private Practice Prohibited

History. Code 1981, § 17-12-25 , enacted by Ga. L. 2003, p. 191, § 1; Ga. L. 2004, Ex. Sess., p. ES3, § 18/HB 1EX; Ga. L. 2008, p. 846, § 32/HB 1245; Ga. L. 2009, p. 745, § 1/SB 97; Ga. L. 2012, p. 446, § 2-18/HB 642; Ga. L. 2015, p. 919, § 1-7/HB 279; Ga. L. 2022, p. 349, § 1/HB 1391.
The 2022 amendment, effective July 1, 2022, in subsection (a), rewrote the first sentence, which read: “Each circuit public defender shall receive an annual salary of $99,526.00, and cost-of-living adjustments may be given by the General Assembly in the General Appropriations Act by a percentage not to exceed the average percentage of the general increase in salary as may from time to time be granted to employees of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government; provided, however, that any increase for such circuit public defender shall not include within-grade step increases for which classified employees as defined by Code Section 45-20-2 are eligible.” and deleted the former third sentence, which read: “The Office of Planning and Budget shall calculate the average percentage increase.”
Editor’s notes.
Ga. L. 2012, p. 446, § 3-1/HB 642, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: “Personnel, equipment, and facilities that were assigned to the State Personnel Administration as of June 30, 2012, shall be transferred to the Department of Administrative Services on the effective date of this Act.” This Act became effective July 1, 2012.
Ga. L. 2012, p. 446, § 3-2/HB 642, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: “Appropriations for functions which are transferred by this Act may be transferred as provided in Code Section 45-12-90.”
Ga. L. 2015, p. 919, § 4-1(b)/HB 279, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: “(b)(1) Part I of this Act shall become effective only if funds are appropriated for purposes of Part I of this Act in an appropriations Act enacted at the 2015 regular session of the General Assembly.
“(2) If funds are so appropriated, then Part I of this Act shall become effective on July 1, 2015, for purposes of making the initial appointments of the Court of Appeals Judges created by Part I of this Act, and for all other purposes, Part I of this Act shall become effective on January 1, 2016.
“(3) If funds are not so appropriated, then Part I of this Act shall not become effective and shall stand repealed on July 1, 2015.”
Funds were appropriated at the 2015 session of the General Assembly.

Structure Georgia Code

Georgia Code

Title 17 - Criminal Procedure

Chapter 12 - Legal Defense for Indigents

Article 2 - Public Defenders

§ 17-12-20. Public Defender Selection Panel for Each Circuit; Appointment of Public Defender; Removal; Vacancies

§ 17-12-21. Qualifications for Public Defender Position

§ 17-12-22. Procedure for Appointment of Attorneys for Indigent Defendants in Event of Public Defender’s Conflict of Interest; Identification of Conflict

§ 17-12-23. Cases in Which Public Defender Representation Required; Timing of Representation; Juvenile Divisions; Contracts With Local Governments

§ 17-12-24. Financial Eligibility for Indigent Defense Services Representation; Operation of Public Defender’s Office

§ 17-12-25. Salary of Public Defender; Private Practice Prohibited

§ 17-12-25.1. Accountability Court Supplement

§ 17-12-26. Budget of the Council

§ 17-12-27. Appointment of Assistant Public Defenders; Salary; Promotions

§ 17-12-28. Appointment of Investigator; Role and Responsibilities; Compensation; Promotions

§ 17-12-29. Employment of Supplemental Personnel; Compensation

§ 17-12-30. Classification of Personnel; Responsibilities; Compensation; Local Supplements

§ 17-12-31. Employment of Additional Personnel

§ 17-12-32. Contracting With the Council for Personnel Paid by Local Government

§ 17-12-33. Assistant Public Defenders’ Private Practice of Law or Concurrent Judicial Service Prohibited; Admission to Bar in Georgia

§ 17-12-34. Pro Rata Sharing of Expenses and Resources by Counties in Each Circuit

§ 17-12-35. Acceptance of Other Funding

§ 17-12-36. Alternative Delivery System; Annual Review of Operations by Council; Record Keeping

§ 17-12-37. Effective Date of Article