public defender
noun
: a lawyer usually holding public office whose duty is to defend accused persons unable to pay for legal assistance
Examples of public defender in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The head of the Weber County public defender’s office in Utah, which is currently representing Gaoa and Dewees, declined to comment.
—
James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024
At an arraignment Wednesday, the county Public Defender’s Office was assigned to represent Avila Pedraza, and a deputy public defender asked Judge Kimberly Parker to direct the case to the county’s mental health and drug court.
—Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 5 June 2024
Unlike in juvenile court, students in local ticket hearings cannot get a public defender.
—Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 4 June 2024
Wan's attorney Amanda Barfield, a New York County public defender, did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for public defender 
James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024
At an arraignment Wednesday, the county Public Defender’s Office was assigned to represent Avila Pedraza, and a deputy public defender asked Judge Kimberly Parker to direct the case to the county’s mental health and drug court.
—Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 5 June 2024
Unlike in juvenile court, students in local ticket hearings cannot get a public defender.
—Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 4 June 2024
Wan's attorney Amanda Barfield, a New York County public defender, did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for public defender
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'public defender.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Public defender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20defender. Accessed 14 Jun. 2024.
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