The Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel shall limit its activities to the representation of inmates under sentence of death in post-conviction proceedings and ancillary matters related directly to post-conviction review of their convictions and sentences and other activities explicitly authorized in statute. Representation by the office or by private counsel under appointment by the office will end upon the filing of proceeding for federal habeas corpus review or for appointment of counsel to represent the defendant in federal habeas corpus proceedings. However, the office may continue representation if the office or a staff attorney employed by the office shall be appointed by a federal court to represent the inmate in federal habeas corpus proceedings. In such event, the office or the employee attorney shall apply to the federal court for compensation and expenses and shall upon receipt of payments by the federal court pay all sums received over to the office for deposit in the Special Capital Post-Conviction Counsel Fund as provided in Section 99-39-117, from which all expenses for investigation and litigation shall be disbursed. Representation in post-conviction proceedings shall further include representation of the inmate from the exhaustion of all state and federal post-conviction litigation until execution of the sentence or an adjudication resulting in either a new trial or a vacation of the death sentence. The attorneys appointed to serve in the Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel shall devote their entire time to the duties of the office, shall not represent any persons in other litigation, civil or criminal, nor in any other way engage in the practice of law, and shall in no manner, directly or indirectly, participate in the trial of any person charged with capital murder or direct appeal of any person under sentence of death in the state, nor engage in lobbying activities for or against the death penalty. Any violation of this provision shall be grounds for termination from employment, in the case of the director, by the Governor, and in the case of other attorneys, by the director, with approval of the Chief Justice.
Structure Mississippi Code
Chapter 39 - Post-Conviction Proceedings
Article 3 - Mississippi Capital Post-Conviction Counsel Act
§ 99-39-105. Purpose of office
§ 99-39-107. Duties of office; attorneys appointed to office to be full time
§ 99-39-111. Office hours of operation
§ 99-39-113. Powers and duties of director; requirement of surety bond
§ 99-39-115. Director to keep a docket of all death penalty cases in Mississippi
§ 99-39-119. Director authorized to solicit funds for purpose of funding and operating office