The Office of Indigent Defense Services is seeking an Assistant Director to serve as a senior member of the IDS leadership team. The Assistant Director reports directly to the Executive Director and will provide critical support to the Executive Director’s statutory responsibilities across four areas: Commission governance and compliance, legislative reporting and coordination, the agency’s […]

Location: The NC Administrative Office of the Courts / NC Judicial Center – 901 Corporate Center Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607 – The Hickory Room (with the Oak Room reserved for overflow) Time: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Please note that the Commission will begin the meeting in executive (closed) session. The public portion of the meeting […]

Following a thorough search and selection process, the IDS Commission has named Whitney B. Fairbanks as the next IDS executive director. This follows the announcement by current executive director, Mary Pollard, that she will retire this month. Fairbanks will serve a four-year term beginning August 10, 2026. As the Commission and the agency prepare for this […]

The 2026 State Appropriations Act, enacted on July 7, provides the Office of Indigent Defense Services (IDS) with additional funding for the Private Assigned Counsel (PAC) Fund. At its August 7 meeting, the IDS Commission voted for an across-the-board rate increase for court-appointed counsel. The new rates will become effective October 1, 2026. IDS will […]

As a courtesy to the North Carolina Post-Conviction Review Commission (formerly the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission), we have posted the following press release for your information: Click here to read the press release.

July 7, 2026 Today, Governor Josh Stein signed the 2026 State Appropriations Act into law. The new budget provides the Office of Indigent Defense Services with additional funding for the Private Assigned Counsel (PAC) Fund. IDS fiscal and research staff are assessing agency budget numbers and trends in demand so that the Commission can determine […]