There is hereby created the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System Board. The Board shall govern the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System. The Board shall be composed of five (5) members appointed for five-year terms by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. At least three members shall be attorneys licensed to practice law in the State of Oklahoma who have experience through the practice of law in the defense of persons accused of crimes. The Governor shall designate one Board member to serve as chair. No congressional district shall be represented by more than one member on the Board. However, when congressional districts are redrawn each member appointed prior to July 1 of the year in which such modification becomes effective shall complete the current term of office and appointments made after July 1 of the year in which such modification becomes effective shall be based on the redrawn districts. Appointments made after July 1 of the year in which such modification becomes effective shall be from any redrawn districts which are not represented by a board member until such time as each of the modified congressional districts are represented by a board member. No appointments may be made after July 1 of the year in which such modification becomes effective if such appointment would result in more than two members serving from the same modified district. No county shall be represented by more than one member. The Board shall meet at least every other month upon the call of the chair. Board members shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for their necessary travel expenses as provided by the State Travel Reimbursement Act, Section 500.1 et seq. of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The terms of office for the initial appointees to the Board shall be as follows:
1. The term for Position One shall expire on July 1, 1989;
2. The term for Position Two shall expire on July 1, 1990;
3. The term for Position Three shall expire on July 1, 1991;
4. The term for Position Four shall expire on July 1, 1992; and
5. The term for Position Five shall expire on July 1, 1993.
A Board member shall be eligible for reappointment and shall continue in office until his successor has been appointed, qualified and confirmed by the Senate.
Added by Laws 1988, c. 253, § 4, operative July 1, 1988. Amended by Laws 1991, c. 238, § 2, eff. July 1, 1991; Laws 1992, c. 303, § 2, eff. July 1, 1992; Laws 1994, c. 328, § 1, eff. July 1, 1994; Laws 1998, c. 201, § 1, emerg. eff. May 11, 1998; Laws 2001, c. 210, § 2, eff. July 1, 2001; Laws 2002, c. 375, § 4, eff. Nov. 5, 2002.