How do you get a public defender?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

How do you get a public defender?

My friend got picked up for shoplifting. When she was taken to the police station, the officer coerced her to sign a paper allowing him to search her apartment. She asked if she needed a lawyer and he told her that she was on her own. He ransacked her bedroom looking for drugs. He then told her to tell him who her friends were and went through her cell phone. She admitted to another shoplifting a week earlier. They are now charging her with 2 charges of petty theft. He then arrived at her apartment again. She is 18 and has never been in trouble before. She is scared and we can’t figure out how to find a public lawyer. She is a college student and has no money. She admits she was wrong.

Asked on March 28, 2014 under Criminal Law, Montana

Answers:

Anne Brady / Law Office of Anne Brady

Answered 10 years ago | Contributor

At her first court appearance/arraignment she needs to tell the judge that she can not afford an attorney and wishes one to be provided for her.  The judge will appoint a public defender.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption