Indigent definition, lacking food, clothing, and other necessities of life because of poverty; needy; poor; impoverished. A. 2) n. one without sufficient income to afford a lawyer for defense in a criminal case. How to use indigence in a sentence. Determination of indigency; guidelines; statement of indigence; appointment of counsel. This constitutional right of counsel for the indigent was determined by Gideon v. Prior to that legislation, the responsibility for paying for indigent disposition fell solely to the county. Access to an attorney means little if they lack the time, resources, or skills to be an effective advocate. There is a similar indigent application form for a criminal case to request a public defender. Thus, one of the areas CLRP focuses on is creating or improving indigent defense systems to ensure quality representation for all defendants, regardless of income or social status. inclusion in Cornell Law Review by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Cornell Law: A Digital Repository. of County Comm'rs of Gooding Count In civil law suits, if a consumer has an income less than 200% of the federal poverty guidelines; and minimal assets, he, is likely eligible for civil indigent status. Impoverished, or unable to afford the necessities of life. If the court finds a person is an indigent, the court must appoint a public defender or other attorney to represent him/her. In a general sense an "indigent" person is one who is'needy and … v. Bd. See more. NYS Office of Indigent Legal Services Alfred E. Smith Bldg. disposition of unclaimed indigent bodies. Legal definition for INDIGENT: A person so poor so as to be unable to afford the most basic life necessities. Ctr. Synonym Discussion of indigence. § 19.2-159. The Oregon Indigent Disposition Program has been in existence since the Oregon State Legislature assigned responsibility for reimbursement to the Health Division in 1993. A public defender is a lawyer appointed to represent people who otherwise cannot reasonably afford to hire a lawyer to defend themselves in a trial.Several countries, including the UK, Hungary and Singapore, and some states of Australia, provide people with public defenders. For more information, please contactjmp8@cornell.edu. 80 S. Swan Street Suite 1147 Albany, NY 12210 Tel: 518-486-2028 E-Mail:Info@ils.ny.govInfo@ils.ny.gov Recommended Citation Don D. Buchwald,Indigent Criminal Defendants Constitutional Right to Compensated … Indigence definition is - a level of poverty in which real hardship and deprivation are suffered and comforts of life are wholly lacking. A defendant who is indigent has a constitutional right to court-appointed representation, according to a 1963 Supreme Court decision, Gideon v. Wainright. Health law - in determining whether a patient is medically indigent, County Boards can impute a patient's potential income and future tax returns - St. Luke's Magic Valley Reg'l Med. Indigent status allows the clerks of court to waive filing fees and court costs.