
It is important to understand that a Public Defender gets appointed by the Court. The defendant has no say in which public defender he/she will receive. In the state of Florida, if you are not indigent you will not qualify for the services of the Public Defender’s office.Īlthough the public defender and their assistant public defenders are attorneys, the Law Office of Matthew Glassman advises residents that public defenders are not attorneys who are hand-picked by the defendant. And the representation isn’t exactly free as a public defender fee gets assessed. Only people who qualify as indigent get the public defender for free. Residents mistakenly believe that the sixth amendment means that the Florida resident will be given a private attorney free of charge. That’s not to say that a public defender isn’t qualified or capable of representing them. Most residents don’t understand that it may be in their best interest to hire a private Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney to defend them. citizens the right to have an attorney when they have been charged with a crime.

Public defenders are only appointed to represent the indigent.įort Lauderdale, FL – The sixth amendment to the U.S. It is important to understand that not everyone who is facing criminal charges is entitled to the services of a public defender. When a Florida resident is charged with a criminal offense, or is under investigation, they often wonder if they should hire a professional criminal defense attorney or accept the services of the public defender.
