Public defenders; increase compensation for court appointed.

HB 655 would have raised maximum payments to court-appointed attorneys representing low-income defendants in Mississippi. It proposed increasing compensation limits for regular circuit court cases (currently capped at $3,000), capital cases (currently $6,000), and minor cases (currently $200). County treasurers would have paid these higher fees from local general funds. The bill died in committee in February 2025 and did not become law.