Alaska Public Defender Agency v. Superior Court

Summary

The court held that neither the Public Defender Agency nor the Division of Juvenile Justice is statutorily required to pay the travel expenses of an out-of-custody indigent juvenile attending a delinquency proceeding. It interpreted the relevant references to attorney services, facilities, and court costs narrowly, relying on statutory text and legislative history, and concluded that identifying a funding source is for the legislative and executive branches. The court reached the merits despite the case becoming moot under the public interest exception to mootness.