public defender office
Indigent representation bureau
A public defender office is a government agency that provides legal representation to people who cannot afford private attorneys in criminal cases.
The constitutional right to counsel means defendants facing jail time must have lawyers, so these offices handle everything from misdemeanors to serious felonies.
Public defenders typically carry heavy caseloads: The public defender office assigned someone to his case the morning of arraignment.
- indigentExtremely poor, lacking necessities
- low incomeEarnings below average
- court-appointedDesignated by a judge
- arraignmentCharge-reading court session
- pretrial hearingCourt session before formal proceedings
felony · misdemeanor · caseload · plea bargain · plea deal · criminal justice · legal aid · counsel · representation · overworked · underfunded · courthouse · court system · bail · county jail · Miranda · due process · advocate
public, publicly, publics, publication, publish, publisher, publishing, publicize, publicist