Appointment of assistants and other staff; method of payment.

(1) The public defender of each judicial circuit is authorized to employ and establish, in such numbers as authorized by the General Appropriations Act, assistant public defenders and other staff and personnel pursuant to s. 29.006, who shall be paid from funds appropriated for that purpose. Notwithstanding ss. 790.01 and 790.02, an investigator employed by a public defender, while actually carrying out official duties, is authorized to carry a concealed weapon or concealed firearm if the investigator complies with s. 790.25(2)(o). However, such investigators are not eligible for membership in the Special Risk Class of the Florida Retirement System. The public defenders of all judicial circuits shall jointly develop a coordinated classification and pay plan which shall be submitted on or before January 1 of each year to the Justice Administrative Commission, the office of the President of the Senate, and the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Such plan shall be developed in accordance with policies and procedures of the Executive Office of the Governor established in s. 216.181. Each assistant public defender appointed by a public defender under this section shall serve at the pleasure of the public defender. Each investigator employed by a public defender shall have full authority to serve any witness subpoena or court order issued, by any court or judge within the judicial circuit served by such public defender, in a criminal case in which such public defender has been appointed to represent the accused.

(2) Any member of The Florida Bar, in good standing, may volunteer without salary to represent indigent defendants. Volunteer attorneys are to be referred to as special assistant public defenders. A special assistant public defender may not reassign or subcontract a case to another attorney.

(3) The appropriations for the offices of public defender shall be determined by a funding formula and such other factors as may be deemed appropriate in a manner to be determined by this section and the General Appropriations Act.

(4) The five criminal conflict and civil regional counsels may employ and establish, in the numbers authorized by the General Appropriations Act, assistant regional counsels and other staff and personnel in each judicial district pursuant to s. 29.006, who shall be paid from funds appropriated for that purpose. Notwithstanding ss. 790.01 and 790.02, an investigator employed by an office of criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, while actually carrying out official duties, is authorized to carry a concealed weapon or concealed firearm if the investigator complies with s. 790.25(2)(o). However, such investigators are not eligible for membership in the Special Risk Class of the Florida Retirement System. The five regional counsels shall jointly develop a coordinated classification and pay plan for submission to the Justice Administrative Commission, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by January 1 of each year. The plan must be developed in accordance with policies and procedures of the Executive Office of the Governor established in s. 216.181. Each assistant regional counsel appointed by the regional counsel under this section shall serve at the pleasure of the regional counsel. Each investigator employed by the regional counsel shall have full authority to serve any witness subpoena or court order issued by any court or judge in a criminal case in which the regional counsel has been appointed to represent the accused.

(5) The appropriations for the offices of criminal conflict and civil regional counsel shall be determined by a funding formula and other factors that are considered appropriate in a manner to be determined by this section and the General Appropriations Act.