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The
Public Defenders office is located on the 3rd floor of the Adams
County Courthouse.
This
office represents individuals charged with a criminal offense in
Adams County. The accused person must request the appointment of
counsel by the Court and file an affidavit of assets and liabilities
to show financial need. Once this is done, the Court directs that
the accused is to be represented by the Public Defender's Office.
Clients
do not have a personal choice in the selection of counsel;
Public Defenders are assigned by courtrooms. All conversations
between a client and a Public Defender or an assigned attorney, are
protected by the attorney-client privilege.
Such
representation is also available for persons named as a party in
juvenile delinquency or neglect actions, persons subject to mental
health commitment actions, and paternity cases.
Public
Defender representation is not available for those facing non-jail-able
village ordinances or petty traffic offenses.
The
U.S. Constitution established that persons accused of committing a
crime have the right to be represented by an attorney. The U.S.
Supreme Court has interpreted this right to mean that if a defendant
cannot afford to hire an attorney, the court will appoint one to
represent him or her. In
1972, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that this right applies in all
cases where the defendant faces a jail term, whether the case is a
felony or a misdemeanor.
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