MSPD Guidelines for Representation

MSPD’s Guidelines for Representation were updated in May 2021.  These guidelines are intended not as direction, but as guidance for MSPD attorneys and Special Public Defenders as they represent their clients and encounter common issues in that representation.  Click here for the MSPD Guidelines for Representation (.pdf).

If a client has mental health issues, the panel attorney should contact MSPD Case Contracting for further advice before seeking a mental exam.  Except in limited circumstances, MSPD generally does recommend a court-ordered examination provided by the state as per Chapter 552, RSMo, but instead recommends examinations by a privately-obtained forensic examiner. See the MSPD Guide to Mental Health Evaluations (.pdf), as well as the Litigation Expenses webpage for information on how to request approval for a private mental exam.

Please contact MSPD Case Contracting if you have any questions about the Guidelines.