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Liability for reimbursement of costs for outside counsel - 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5303

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     § 5303.  Liability for reimbursement of costs for outside
                counsel.
        (a)  General rule.--A public official who is convicted of a
     felony or a misdemeanor under Federal law or under the laws of
     this Commonwealth shall be liable for and shall reimburse any
     public money expended by the Commonwealth to cover the costs
     incurred by an agency for outside counsel to defend the
     convicted public official in connection with a criminal
     investigation and prosecution of such public official.
        (b)  Conviction in State court.--When a public official is
     convicted of a felony or misdemeanor in State court, the court
     shall, in addition to the punishment prescribed for the offense,
     order the public official to reimburse any public money for
     which he is liable under subsection (a).
        (c)  Conviction in Federal court.--When a public official is
     convicted of a felony or misdemeanor in a Federal court, the
     Attorney General shall institute a civil action in Commonwealth
     Court to recover the public money for which the public official
     is liable under subsection (a).
        (d)  Method of reimbursement.--The court may order the public
     official to make reimbursement of public money in a lump sum, by
     monthly installments or according to such other schedule as the
     court may determine appropriate. The period of time during which
     the public official is ordered to make such reimbursement may
     exceed the maximum term of imprisonment to which the public
     official could have been sentenced for the crime of which he was
     convicted.
        (e)  Status of reimbursement.--Any reimbursement of public
     money ordered by the court under this section shall be a
     judgment in favor of the Commonwealth upon the public official
     or property of the public official ordered to make
     reimbursement. The Attorney General shall be responsible for
     enforcing such judgment in courts of competent jurisdiction in
     accordance with provisions of this title.
        (f)  Disposition of funds.--Any money reimbursed or recovered
     under this section shall be deposited in the fund from which the
     Commonwealth expended such public money.
        (g)  Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
     words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
     subsection:
        "Convicted."  A finding or verdict of guilty, an admission of
     guilt or a plea of nolo contendere.
        "Public money."  Any money received by the Commonwealth or
     any agency of the Commonwealth through taxes imposed pursuant to
     the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform
     Code of 1971, and through fees, fines and penalties imposed
     pursuant to the laws of this Commonwealth.
        "Public official."  Any person who is required to file an
     annual statement of financial interests with the State Ethics
     Commission as a public official of the Commonwealth in
     accordance with the act of October 4, 1978 (P.L.883, No.170),
     referred to as the Public Official and Employee Ethics Law.
     (July 11, 1996, P.L.552, No.98, eff. 60 days)

        1996 Amendment.  Act 98 added section 5303.

Last modified: November 27, 2007