Rule 21 Costs

When an attorney gets investigated or prosecuted for a disciplinary complaint, someone has to pay for the work involved. This rule explains how that cost gets split.

The Judiciary and the Bar Association each pay half the cost of hiring prosecuting counsel and the investigator. The pay rate follows the same system used for lawyers who represent people who can't afford an attorney in felony cases. On top of that base pay, the Judiciary and Bar Association also split the cost of any reasonable expenses that come up during the investigation or prosecution, again paying half each.

The prosecuting counsel and investigator have to keep good records of their time and expenses. Once their job is done, they must turn in that paperwork to the Supreme Court Clerk of Court within 30 days. This keeps the process accountable and makes sure the costs are properly tracked and paid.