The Associated Press

BATON ROUGE - The quest to find money to defend the man accused in the serial killings of six South Louisiana women got kicked back to a state district judge.

The Louisiana Indigent Defense Assistance Board said Thursday it needed an order from Judge Richard Anderson certifying how much money is needed to defend Derrick Todd Lee of St. Francisville before it seeks emergency money from the state.

"What we want to do is have a basis (for a request), get our ducks in a row," board Executive Director Ed Greenlee said.

Anderson has urged Lee's attorneys to seek help from the indigent board and the state Interim Emergency Board, but he has not ordered any government agency to put up dollars to defend Lee.

Mitchell has said he needs $800,000 to provide a proper defense for Lee, who is accused of killing six women between September 2001 and March.

Lee is scheduled to go to trial March 1 in the May 2002 slaying of Charlotte Murray Pace of Baton Rouge. He faces the death penalty if convicted.

Police have said DNA evidence links Lee to the slayings.

The indigent board earlier refused to approve a $100,000 request, saying it didn't have the cash and could not pay for any single criminal case. Lee's lead defense attorney, Mike Mitchell, returned to the board Thursday asking again for help - this time in making an appeal to the emergency board.

After the meeting, Mitchell said he will file a motion seeking the order from Anderson on the cost of the defense within the next week or so.

Mitchell said he will ask for a closed hearing without the prosecution present to lay out how much he needs and why because he doesn't want to tip the prosecution to defense strategy.

The Interim Emergency Board operates between legislative sessions to take care of emergency spending needs. Statewide elected officials as well as legislators sit on the board. If requests receive board approval, they then go to the Legislature for OK by mailed ballot.

Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Executive Director George Steimel warned that the request to help cover Lee's defense costs doesn't fit the definition of an emergency contained in state law.

"It will be my job to make that presentation to the board," replied Greenlee.

State Sen. Jay Dardenne, an emergency board member, wasn't optimistic Mitchell would get the money from the board. "In times of budget stress, that is not going to be a priority. Don't hold your breath."

Dardenne said East Baton Rouge District Attorney Doug Moreau would have to say "you need to give this money for an adequate defense so our conviction will stick."