Okuzeka
Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Defence & Prosecution

Public defender

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/ˌpʌblɪk dɪˈfendə/nounCommon term

In criminal law & justice, public defender means: In the US, a lawyer paid by the government to defend people who are charged with a crime and cannot afford to hire their own lawyer.

In Turkish: kamu avukatı, devlet tarafından atanan müdafi, CMK avukatı

How it is used

Mainly American: 'the public defender's office', 'be assigned a public defender', 'a public defender represented him'. Public defenders often handle very large numbers of cases. In England and Wales the same need is usually met through legal aid and 'duty solicitors'.

Example sentences

  1. She could not afford a lawyer, so the court appointed a public defender.

  2. Many public defenders handle more than a hundred cases at once.

Common collocations

  • public defender's office
  • assigned a public defender
  • appoint a public defender
  • work as a public defender
  • defence lawyerA lawyer who represents a suspect or defendant, protects their rights and argues their side of the case against the prosecution.
  • legal aidMoney or free legal services provided by the state to help people who cannot afford a lawyer, especially when they face criminal charges.
  • DADistrict attorney: in the US, the chief public prosecutor of a county or district, who decides which criminal cases to bring to court.
  • defendantThe person who has been charged with a crime and is being tried in court; in a civil case, the person who is being sued.

More terms: Defence & Prosecution

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.