public defender

noun

a lawyer appointed or elected by a city or county as a full-time, official defender to represent indigents in criminal cases at public expense.

public defender

noun

(in the US) a lawyer engaged at public expense to represent indigent defendants

public defender

An attorney who is appointed and paid by a court to defend poor persons who cannot afford a lawyer.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of public defender¹

First recorded in 1915–20

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

County public defender’s office immediately filed a legal challenge on behalf of one of its clients, which put the matter before Espinoza.

From

A call to his public defender was not returned.

From

The public defender’s office has asked Los Angeles County Judge Michael Espinoza to release some clients and move others to lower security camps, but Espinoza has punted on making a decision for months.

From

The longtime Orange County public defender changed local history in 2013 when he presented a judge with evidence that sheriff’s deputies had illegally used jailhouse snitches for decades.

From

Brooke Longuevan, president of the public defenders union, called the situation “deeply concerning.”

From

public debt public domain

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