§844D-124 - Counsel. - Hawaii Statutes

     [§844D-124]  Counsel.  (a)  The court may, at any time during proceedings under this part, appoint counsel for a defendant determined to be indigent pursuant to section 802-4.

     (b)  If the defendant has filed pro se, upon a showing that DNA testing may be material to the defendant's claim of wrongful conviction, the court shall appoint counsel for the defendant.

     (c)  The court, in its discretion, may refer pro se requests for DNA testing to qualified parties for further review, including but not limited to indigent defense organizations or clinical legal education programs, without appointing the parties as counsel at that time.

     (d)  If the defendant has retained private pro bono counsel, including but not limited to counsel from a nonprofit organization that represents indigent persons, the court may, in its discretion, award reasonable attorney's fees and costs at the conclusion of the litigation. [L 2005, c 112, pt of §1]