On April 30, 2026, Governor Gretchen Whitmer made the following appointments to the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission:

John Hays, of Jackson, is the president of Judicial Services Group and JSG Monitoring, and the president and founder of the National Association of Service Providers. Hays holds a Bachelor of Arts in business administration and management from Spring Arbor University. John Hays is appointed as a member submitted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives for a term commencing April 30, 2026, and expiring April 1, 2029. Hays succeeds Thomas McMillin, whose term has expired.

Robert VerHeulen, of Walker, is chair of the Kent County Road Commission, the John Ball Zoo Board of Directors, and is a member of the City of Walker Planning Commission. VerHeulen is a former state representative for the 74th House District. VerHeulen holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Michigan and Juris Doctor from Wayne State University. Robert VerHeulen is appointed as a member submitted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives for a term commencing April 30, 2026, and expiring April 1, 2029.

Sofia Nelson, of Detroit, is a program director of the MDefenders Program and a lecturer at the University of Michigan Law School. Nelson previously served as a staff attorney at the Neighborhood Defender Service and as an assistant appellate defender at the State Appellate Defender Office. Nelson holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and women and gender studies from Tufts University and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. Sofia Nelson is appointed to as a member submitted by the State Bar of Michigan for a term commencing April 30, 2026, and expiring April 1, 2030. Nelson succeeds David Jones, whose term has expired.

James Samuels, of Mecosta, is the owner of Samuels Law Office. Samuels was previously the prosecuting attorney in Mecosta County. Samuels holds both an associate of applied science in legal assisting and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Ferris State University, and a Juris Doctor from Cooley Law School. James Samuels is appointed as a member submitted by the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan for a term commencing April 30, 2026, and expiring April 1, 2028. Samuels succeeds Glenn Simmington, who has resigned.

The Michigan Indigent Defense Commission was created as a result of efforts to improve legal representation for indigent criminal defendants. The Commission develops and oversees the implementation, enforcement, and modification of minimum standards, rules, and procedures to ensure that indigent criminal defense services providing effective assistance of counsel are delivered to all indigent adults in this state consistent with the safeguards of the United States Constitution, the State Constitution of 1963, and with the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission Act.

These appointments are not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.

On January 15, 2026 Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed Coriann McMillen, of Southfield, to the MIDC.

Commissioner McMillen is an associate attorney at Nyman Turkish PC and is a member of the Wolverine Bar Association. McMillen was previously a staff attorney at the Neighborhood Defender Service. McMillen holds a Bachelor of Science in sociology and criminal justice from Central Michigan University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Coriann McMillen is appointed to represent members nominated by state bar associations those whose primary mission or purpose is to advocate for minority interests for a term commencing January 15, 2026, and expiring April 1, 2028. McMillen succeeds Kimberly Buddin, whose term has expired.

Read the full press release here.

Read about all Commissioners here.

During the MIDC’s December 16, 2025 business meeting, an overview of the MIDC’s work was presented by the Commission’s staff.  Please click on the link below and use the arrow keys to move forward or back through the slideshow.  The Commission’s Annual Impact Report will be published by the MIDC at their February 2026 meeting.

Attorneys who practice indigent defense in Michigan are paid according to minimum thresholds outlined in the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission’s (MIDC) Standard 8. For full-time employees, the standard outlines guidance for minimum salaries. For attorneys working on an hourly/contract basis, the standard sets minimum hourly rates or equivalents. The standard also incorporates cost of living increases, meaning rates are typically adjusted every fiscal year. Following the submission of annual compliance plans, MIDC publishes a document summarizing the payment structure and rates for every local indigent defense funding unit in the state.

2026 Attorney Compensation Structure – All Funding Units (spreadsheet)

The document provides salary information for chief public defenders, deputy chief public defenders, and employee managed assigned counsel administrators, as well as a pay range for staff attorneys. Many factors shape the pay ranges across the state, including funding unit size, local economic conditions, and individual attorney experience levels.

• Chief defenders are paid an hourly equivalent of $49/hr to $109/hr, with the typical hourly equivalent being around $70/hr.
• Deputy chief defenders are paid an hourly equivalent of $43/hr to $93/hr, with the typical hourly equivalent being around $60/hr.
• Employee managed assigned counsel administrators are paid an hourly equivalent of $49/hr to $98/hr, with the typical hourly equivalent being around $57/hr.
• Staff attorneys are generally paid an hourly equivalent between $34/hr and $82/hr,

The document provides hourly rates for contracted manager assigned counsel administrators and attorneys paid hourly, as well as rates for on-call coverage, shift payments, and minimum contracts.

• Contracted managed assigned counsel administrators in most systems are paid $128/hr or $130/hr, but there are systems that pay as low as $100/hr and as high as $150/hr. Several systems opt to pay annual flat-rates to administrators.
• Hourly attorneys are typically paid approximately $130/hr for first appearances, shift work, and misdemeanors, approximately $145/hr for non-life felonies, and $155/hr to $160/hr for life offenses, but there is variation across systems, with some funding units paying $220/hr for life offenses.* Some systems also allow higher rates for attorneys who accept an assignment through the Special Assignment Team. MIDC minimum rates for FY26 are $127.24 for misdemeanors, $140.63 for non-life felonies, and $153.38 for life offenses.
• On-call payments vary, but typically offer the equivalent of half an hour or an hour of payment for being available (e.g., $65 on-call fee for a morning docket in addition to the hourly rate if the attorney is called in).
• Shift payments, utilized in some locations, typically establish a minimum payment for up to a certain number of hours that equals the payment the attorney would receive if they worked the maximum shift length (e.g., guaranteed $390 flat-fee for up to a 3 hour shift, $130/hr if the shift exceeds 3 hours).
• Some systems also provide guaranteed weekly or monthly minimums and compensate attorneys hourly if they work more hours than anticipated ($13,000 for up to 100 hours of first appearance coverage for the year, $130/hr beyond that).
• Some systems pay hourly for travel time under certain conditions (in addition to mileage), with most systems tying the rate to the hourly rate of the case. Other systems set a specific hourly rate for all travel.

*Unless otherwise noted, the direct hourly payment column in the document shows rates separated by forward slashes to delineate rates for misdemeanors and first appearance coverage/non-life felonies/life offenses. If four rates are listed, the rates are for misdemeanors and first appearance coverage/low-severity felonies/high-severity felonies/life offenses.

Prepared by Neil Weinberg, MIDC Research Analyst

November 2025