Ala. Code § 15-12-43: Compensation and Expenses.

(a) The public defender shall receive a salary set by the director. The salary shall not exceed the state salary paid to a district attorney and shall be paid in the same manner as employees of the state.

(b) All salary and expenses of a public defender shall be paid by the state out of the Fair Trial Tax Fund or other funds appropriated by the Legislature for such purposes; except, that in counties authorized to impose a court cost for defender services, the county shall fund defender services from the revenues from the court cost, and the state shall pay a reasonable share of the cost of maintaining such office, such reasonable share to be determined by the director.