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 Nevada County public defender’s office and the nonprofit Civil Rights Corps asked the state appeals court to investigate the matter, and to consider sanctioning Wilson’s office for submitting the false citations.
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Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
The 1991 movie stars Nick Nolte as Sam Bowden, the one-time public defender who Cady haunts, blaming his long prison incarceration for rape on purposefully faulty defense tactics.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Maduro lawyer Barry Pollack contended that if Maduro got public defenders, the complex case would sap legal resources meant for people who can't afford their own attorneys.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Mar. 2026
He was accompanied by a public defender.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for public defender
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Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
The 1991 movie stars Nick Nolte as Sam Bowden, the one-time public defender who Cady haunts, blaming his long prison incarceration for rape on purposefully faulty defense tactics.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Maduro lawyer Barry Pollack contended that if Maduro got public defenders, the complex case would sap legal resources meant for people who can't afford their own attorneys.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Mar. 2026
He was accompanied by a public defender.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for public defender
Cite this Entry
“Public defender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20defender. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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