INDIGENT DEFENSE SERVICES
The Office of Indigent Defense Services (OIDS) provides financial services, guidance and statistical data to the judicial courts of Alabama. It also ensures that every indigent defendant represented receives the fullest measure of due process required by law in a cost-effective manner while maintaining fiscal responsibility for the State. The office also oversees the payment of court appointed attorneys for certain legal services performed on behalf of indigent clients in the State’s family courts.
OIDS and certain Public Defender Offices (PDOs) utilize the WebEx phone system. The WebEx text messaging feature can be used for communication between PDOs and clients. OIDS will not share a user’s opt-in to an SMS campaign with any third party for purposes unrelated to providing a user with the services of that campaign. OIDS may share personal data, including SMS opt-in or consent status, with third parties that help provide our messaging services, including but not limited to platform providers, phone companies, and any vendors who assist in the delivery of text messages.
NEWS/UPDATES
Physical Address:
Office of Indigent Defense Services
100 N. Union Street, Suite 680
Montgomery, AL 36104
Ph (334) 242-7059 Fax (334) 353-4405
Mailing Address:
Office of Indigent Defense Services
P.O. Box 302598
Montgomery, AL 36130-2598
Chris Roberts, Division Director
christopher.roberts@oids.alabama.gov
John Morris, Accounting Manager
john.morris@oids.alabama.gov
Eric Austin, Financial Specialist
eric.austin@oids.alabama.gov
Deborah Fenn, Accountant
deborah.fenn@oids.alabama.gov
Derek Johnston, Staff Accountant
derek.johnston@oids.alabama.gov
Judy Prater, Financial Specialist, Sr
judy.prater@oids.alabama.gov
Edwina Straughn, Staff Accountant
edwina.straughn@oids.alabama.gov
Marcella Willis, Assistant to Director
marcella.willis@oids.alabama.gov
Shamekia Thomas, Financial Specialist
shamekia.thomas@oids.alabama.gov
Kim Scott, Financial Specialist
kim.scott@oids.alabama.gov
Alabama Indigent Defense Claims Center 
AIDCC is our online reporting application for attorneys. After you become an established vendor within STAARS VSS, you will need to notify OIDS that you are ready for access to AIDCC. Please contact Edwina Straughn at edwina.straughn@oids.alabama.gov or Ph (334) 242-7039. After you receive an email containing your user ID and temporary password you can sign into AIDCC. Click here to watch the Claim Management and Submission Training video.
Hard Copy Submission of Claims
For court reporters, experts and appellate claims hard copy fee declarations must be submitted to OIDS. After you become an established vendor in STAARS, fee declarations should be submitted to OIDS via our mailing address.
STAARS Vendor Self Service (VSS)
Registration in the STAARS VSS system is required of new vendors in order to do business with the State of Alabama. For information on registering and using VSS please click here STAARS VSS. (Please note that if an entity has already done business with the State of Alabama prior to STAARS implementation, the vendor will already have an account.) Please contact OIDS for confirmation prior to new registration.
Attorneys who work with a firm will need to make two entries in VSS when registering a new Tax ID Number (TIN) for that firm. For example, Leslie Jones who works for the firm of Smith, Jones & Williams, PC wants payments to be made using the TIN of the firm. Therefore, she would register in the following:
Smith, Jones & Williams, PC
100 Union Street
Anytown, AL 36699
Leslie Jones
Smith, Jones and Williams, PC
100 Union Street
Anytown, AL 36699
Payment is made in the appointed attorney’s name and the income is reported under the firm’s TIN. Similarly, if an attorney wants to register the address for a factoring firm that advances funds, they would enter the mailing address for the factoring firm in addition to the attorney’s address such as:
Leslie Jones
Factoring firm address
Anytown, AL 36699
A factoring firm can be registered only after the child account has been created.
For technical support please contact Edwina Straughn at edwina.straughn@oids.alabama.gov or Ph (334) 242-7039.
CONTRACT ATTORNEY
All monthly contract case reporting is to be submitted electronically through our AIDCC application. The instructions can be viewed or downloaded by clicking here Instructions for Contract Attorney Monthly Report.
- Memo regarding Contract Application 1-28-20
- Contract Attorney Application
- Contract Attorney Monthly Report
- Instructions for Contract Attorney Monthly Report
MEMOS
- Act 2024-161 Memo - Updated
- Investigator Licensing by APIB
- Act 2023-368 Memo
- Expert Fee Schedule effective 1-1-20
- Required Attorney Qualifications for Capital Murder Appointments 6-11-18
- Billing Standards
- Beason-Hammon Act Compliance 2-17-12
- Reasonable Time Submission Rescission 1-17-12
- Reasonable Time 1-17-12
- GAL Compensation 12-14-11
- GAL 10-25-10
- Belin v White Final Order
- Attorney Travel Policy Memo
FORMS
Please note: Appellate claims are to be filed on the AFD-2, AFD-4, AFD-5 or AFD-6 form and sent directly to the OIDS instead of the appellate courts.
- AFD-1 Adult Prior to 6-14-2011 Rev1
- AFD-2 Adult After 6-14-2011 Rev1
- AFD-3 Juvenile Prior to 6-14-2011 Rev1
- AFD-4 Juvenile After to 6-14-2011 Rev1
- AFD-5 Adult After 10-1-2024
- AFD-6 Juvenile After 10-1-2024
- Court Reporter Fee Declaration for transcripts approved after 5-1-2022
- Court Reporter Fee Declaration for transcripts approved prior to 5-1-2022
- Expert/Investigator Services Fee Declaration
- Indigent Defense Advisory Board Forms
RULES AND STANDARDS
- Capital Certification for Lead Counsel
- Capital Certification for Associate Counsel
- OIDS Administrative Rules
- Alabama Parents Attorney Standards
- GAL Guidelines
- Felony Attorney Performance Guidelines
- Delinquency Attorney Performance Guidelines
OTHER LINKS