What kind of cases do the Public Defender Office handle?
Attorneys from the Public Defender Office represent adults and juveniles charged with misdemeanor and felony criminal conduct and any alleged violations of the terms and conditions of his or her probation. Public Defenders cannot legally represent persons accused solely of infractions (e.g. most traffic violations, or any violation that does not legally result in a jail sentence). Public Defenders are also called upon to represent those persons who are subjected to civil proceedings under the Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) Act, Latterman-Petris- Short (LPS) Act, and persons potentially subject to initial involuntary mental health commitments or commitment extensions.
