§ 1355.15 Contempt citations - Payment of reasonable court costs.

If a court fines an attorney for contempt while that attorney is representing a low-income client, the state indigent defense system will not pay that fine. The attorney has to cover the fine themselves. This applies specifically to contempt fines, meaning penalties a judge imposes for things like disrespecting the court or not following court orders.

However, there's a difference between fines and court costs. If the contempt citation results in court costs rather than a fine, the Indigent Defense Board can choose to pay those costs. This only happens if the Executive Director recommends it, and only for attorneys who were officially appointed to the case under the Indigent Defense Act. So an appointed attorney might get help with court costs, but never with the fine itself.

In short, this rule protects public funds from covering attorney fines, but it gives some flexibility for covering related court costs when it makes sense.