(a) There is created the Georgia Public Defender Council to be composed of nine members. Other than county commission members, members of the council shall be individuals with significant experience working in the criminal justice system or who have demonstrated a strong commitment to the provision of adequate and effective representation of indigent defendants.
(b) Effective July 1, 2011, the council shall be reconstituted. The members serving on the council immediately prior to July 1, 2011, shall cease to serve on that date, but such prior members shall be eligible for reappointment to succeed themselves or to fill another position on the council.
(c) The nine members of the council shall be appointed as follows:
(1) Five members shall be appointed by the Governor. The Governor shall appoint three county commissioners who have been elected and are serving as members of a county governing authority in this state. The county commissioner councilmembers appointed by the Governor shall be from different geographic regions of this state. The Governor may solicit recommendations for such appointees from the Association County Commissioners of Georgia. Each county commissioner councilmember shall serve a term of four years; provided, however, that the initial appointments shall be for one, two, and three years, respectively, as designated by the Governor for each appointment, and thereafter, such members shall serve terms of four years. A county commission councilmember shall be eligible to serve so long as he or she retains the office by virtue of which he or she is serving on the council. The Governor shall appoint two other members to the council, one of whom shall be a circuit public defender, who shall serve terms of four years;
(2) Two members shall be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor and each shall serve terms of four years; provided, however, that the initial appointments shall be for one and four years, respectively, as designated by the Lieutenant Governor for each appointment, and thereafter, such members shall serve terms of four years; and
(3) Two members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and each shall serve terms of four years; provided, however, that the initial appointments shall be for two and three years, respectively, as designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives for each appointment, and thereafter, such members shall serve terms of four years.
(d) All initial terms shall begin on July 1, 2011, and their successors' terms shall begin on July 1 following their appointment. Any vacancy for a member shall be filled by the appointing authority, and such appointee shall serve the balance of the vacating member's unexpired term. Any member of the council may be appointed to successive terms.
(e) In making the appointments of members of the council who are not county commissioners, the appointing authorities shall seek to identify and appoint persons who represent a diversity of backgrounds and experience and may solicit suggestions from the State Bar of Georgia, local bar associations, the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the councils representing the various categories of state court judges in Georgia, and the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of the State of Georgia, as well as from the public and other interested organizations and individuals within this state. The appointing authorities may solicit recommendations for county commissioners from the Association County Commissioners of Georgia. The appointing authorities shall not appoint a prosecuting attorney as defined in paragraph (6) of Code Section 19-13-51, any employee of a prosecuting attorney's office, or an employee of the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of the State of Georgia to serve on the council.
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