State Rep. John Taylor, R-Philadelphia, is seeking co-sponsors for a proposed piece of legislation aimed at increasing filing fees at the First Judicial District to support court-appointed attorneys who represent indigent defendants.

On May 11, Taylor issued a memorandum seeking co-sponsorship of a proposed bill that would seek to impose a 10 percent fee on civil filings, and allocate 33 to 50 percent of the Philadelphia Law Library fees towards supporting court-appointed attorneys. The memo said the 10 percent fee increase would primarily pay for indigent counsel representation, but up to 10 percent of that money could be used for automating certain processes to increase efficiencies for the court.

“Due to all too familiar budget constraints, payment for the court-appointed defense bar has been problematic for years,” Taylor said in the memo. “Compensation rates are very low, and the court has sometimes struggled with being able to make timely payment for services. This situation makes it difficult to provide counsel in appropriate cases, which jeopardizes access to the courts and critical legal defense for those who can [least] afford it.”