Who payes the public defender in Ohio?

Answer 1

Public defenders in Ohio are paid by the state and local government. In counties with a state public defender, they are paid directly by the state Office of the Public Defender. In counties with a county public defender or appointed counsel, they are paid by the county which is then reimbursed by the state office.

However, the defendant may have to pay some of the cost. There is a $25 application fee, which is paid to the court but may be waived by the court if the defendant has no money at all. There is also a "contribution" fee that is based on what you can afford according to the financial information you submit with your application; this is paid directly to the public defender's office.

The details are explained in the related links below. On the state Office of the Public Defender page, see the menu items for Reimbursement and OPD Resources at the top of the page. The sections of the Ohio Revised Code are the legal basis, and you can scroll to "Prev" and "Next" sections of the Code to see more of the law. The Ohio Courts Guide link is where I found the other links, and it has an additional to link to the Erie County Public Defender's Office if you want a local example.