{7} The Court of Appeals granted interlocutory appeal from the order of the district court, and upheld the district court's decision. State v. Brown, 2004-NMCA-037, 135 N.M. 291, 87 P.3d 1073. Relying heavily on Subin v. Ulmer, 2001-NMCA-105, 131 N.M. 350, 36 P.3d 441, the Court of Appeals held that the district court had no authority to order the payment of expert witness fees for an indigent defendant who is represented by pro bono defense counsel.
In State v. Brown, 135 N.M. 291, 87 P.3d 1073, 1086 (Ct.App. 2004) (Vigil, J., dissenting), addressing an issue much like that which this Court is confronting, Judge Vigil advanced, as one ground for his dissent, the strong policy of New Mexico to encourage pro bono services. That policy is reflected in the Preamble to the N.M. Rules of Professional Conduct and in its Rule 16-601, requiring New Mexico attorneys to aspire to render at least 50 hours of pro bono public legal services per year.
We will not question or attempt to coerce the Legislature's decision to fund treatment centers at a level that results in some children being required to wait for an available space. See State v. Brown, 2004-NMCA-037, ¶¶ 30-32, 135 N.M. 291, 87 P.3d 1073 [No. 23,610 (N.M.Ct.App. Jan. 15, 2004)]. We also point out that it was Child's violent acts during his previous residential treatment placement, and not the mere existence of a delay in admittance to Sequoyah, that resulted in the need for Child's detention.