The attorney appointed by a magistrate or district court to represent a defendant is entitled, in addition to the fee provided by NRS 7.125 for the attorney’s services, to be reimbursed for expenses reasonably incurred by the attorney in representing the defendant and may employ, subject to the prior approval of the magistrate or the district court in an ex parte application, such investigative, expert or other services as may be necessary for an adequate defense. Compensation to any person furnishing such investigative, expert or other services must not exceed $500, exclusive of reimbursement for expenses reasonably incurred, unless payment in excess of that limit is:
1. Certified by the trial judge of the court, or by the magistrate if the services were rendered in connection with a case disposed of entirely before the magistrate, as necessary to provide fair compensation for services of an unusual character or duration; and
2. Approved by the presiding judge of the judicial district in which the attorney was appointed or, if there is no presiding judge, by the district judge who holds seniority in years of service in office.
(Added to NRS by 1975, 1155; A 1981, 875; 1983, 110; 2003, 443)