No. A public defender is your lawyer. Their job is to defend you. But they work for a state-funded office. They see the same prosecutors and judges every single day. They have a job to keep. Most of them care about their clients. The problem is not that they work Read More
The court decides if you qualify. To show you cannot afford a lawyer, you generally need to fill out an Affidavit of Indigent Status or Financial Affidavit. These forms disclose your income, assets, and expenses to the court to determine eligibility for free legal aid or a public defender. They Read More
A public defender is a lawyer the court gives you for free if you can not afford to hire your own. You have seen this on every cop show when the officer says "if you can not afford an attorney one will be provided for you." That lawyer is a Read More