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
Kate will be represented by a public defender in court.
—
Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
For their part, Bernandino-Santiago’s public defenders argued that the shooting was self-defense based on Bernandino-Santiago’s perceptions, arguing in a pretrial hearing that a white person who did the exact same thing wouldn’t have been charged.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Court records reviewed by USA TODAY show she was being held without bond, and that a judge appointed a public defender from that county to represent her on the charge in The Sunshine State.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
Price is being represented by a public defender.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for public defender
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Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
For their part, Bernandino-Santiago’s public defenders argued that the shooting was self-defense based on Bernandino-Santiago’s perceptions, arguing in a pretrial hearing that a white person who did the exact same thing wouldn’t have been charged.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Court records reviewed by USA TODAY show she was being held without bond, and that a judge appointed a public defender from that county to represent her on the charge in The Sunshine State.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
Price is being represented by a public defender.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 16 Apr. 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 18 Apr. 2026.
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