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(AP) -- Georgia's top court will hear arguments over whether the statewide public defender system should pick up the tab for a range of death penalty cases.

Monday's arguments cnter on a case that began when two attorneys tried to get paid for their work defending Willie Palmer, who was convicted of murder in the 1995 deaths of his estranged wife and 15-year-old stepdaughter.  But the cash-strapped council says the court's ruling could impact other capital cases.  The council insists it would go bankrupt if it has to shoulder
the costs of every death penalty defense.  It says it is "threatened with financial jeapordy" if forced to pay costs associated with capital defense.

The system has been a target of lawmakers almost since it was created earlier this decade.
   

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