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No, a public defender is appointed free of charge to those individuals who are charged with a crime and cannot afford an attorney. The public defender is an attorney, but one who is paid by the state or the county. A public defender may be appointed not only in a criminal case, but also in a juvenile, mental health or dependency case.
For those who need additional resources, most states and courts offer self help and legal aid information. In Texas there is free and low cost civil legal assistance available through TexasLawHelp.org. Other resources for Texas legal aid can be found at
http://www.courtreference.com/Texas-Courts-Self-Help.htm
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoYou have to prove you cannot pay for your own lawyer and you may have to pay court costs after the case is finished. It may include a public defender fee.
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Do i have to pay in a public university in Maryland?
You do have to pay to attend a public university in Maryland.
How do you fire your public defender?
You have the option of requesting another public defender, but you cannot 'fire' one. Of course, if you hire and pay for, your own attorney you can do anything you want with them.
How much does a public defender make a year?
The yearly salary for a public defender will depend on the city, state, and experience. On average, a public defender can make anywhere from $30,000 up to $100,000 or more a year. Larger cities will pay the public defenders more money.
What happened to our rights to a public defender at no cost to us?
Such a right has never existed. You have a right to a public defender; however, there is no guarantee that the public defender is "at no cost to you". If you cannot afford one, the public will provide you with an attorney. However, if the court believes you can afford an attorney, you are expected to pay for, and provide, your own.
What is the duration of The Public Defender?
The duration of The Public Defender is 1.15 hours.
When was The Public Defender created?
The Public Defender was created on 1931-08-01.
Do you have to pay for a public defender in Louisiana?
When you apply for a public defender in Louisiana, there is a $40 application fee. This fee is just to pay for processing your indigency application, which is used to determine whether or not you qualify for a public defender. If your indigency application shows that you can't even afford $40, that fee may be reduced or waived. The first related link below is the official answer; just click on the 5th question, "Why do I have to pay a $40 application fee?" Except for that fee, the public defender is paid by the state and does not charge for services. The second related link has more details about your rights, and how the public defender is paid. I found this information at the third related link, which has links to local Indigent Defense offices and information in some parishes.
Can a public defender represent the victim and defendant?
Of course not! A public defender is paid by the public and represents the defendant.
What are a public defender's responsibilities within the courtroom?
The responibilities of a public defender in a courtroom is that they love to drink coffee.♥
Can you replace public defender in California?
In most states, you must petition the court if you want to change your public defender. That's because the court appoints the public defender, so only the court can make a change. That's true in California if your public defender is a court-appointed lawyer and not a member of the Public Defender's Office for your county. But in some California counties with large Public Defender's Offices, the office may let you switch lawyers. Napa County is an example; click the first related link and look for the answer to the question "I don't like my Deputy Public Defender. How do I get a new one?" You will have to check with your county's Public Defender Office. You can find their contact information at the second related link; just scroll down to your county and look for the "Public Defender" link.
What is are your rights when you want a public defender?
In order to have a public defender assigned to your case, you must meet certain income requirements. The requirements are different from state to state. In other words - if you can afford to hire and pay your own attorney, the court will not appoint you one paid for by the taxpayers.
Can you change your public defender if you don't think he is doing a good job in Tx?
In Texas - or any other state - you can't change your public defender if you don't think he is doing a good job. Only the judge can change your public defender, so you would have to convince the judge that the public defender is not doing a good job. See the first related link below for an example of this from the Dallas County Public Defender's Office (scroll down to the question "Can I fire my Assistant Public Defender?"). I found this at the second related link, which has links to Public Defender offices in several counties; you can call those offices and ask about their local procedures.
