Title 12, Title 12 Procedure

It shall be the duty of the public defender to represent and act as attorney for indigent defendants in those criminal cases referred to him or her by the supreme court, by the superior courts, by the district courts, and as are set forth in § 14-1-31, and he or she shall be enga…

The public defender shall have an office in the Providence County Courthouse which shall be assigned to him or her for his or her use by the Providence county courthouse commission.

The public defender shall have the power to apply for and accept grants and bequests of funds from other states, interstate agencies, and independent authorities, and private firms, individuals, and foundations, for the purpose of carrying out his or her lawful responsibilities. …

The public defender may appoint any assistants that may be deemed necessary, whose power and duties shall be similar to those imposed upon the public defender by law and shall be performed under and by the advice and direction of the public defender.

The general assembly shall annually appropriate any sum or sums that it may deem necessary for the payment of the salaries of any clerical assistance that may be deemed necessary and for the payment of office expenses and other actual expenses incurred by the public defender in t…

For the purpose of assisting the public defender or his or her assistants to carry out their duties under this chapter, “indigent defendant,” when used in connection with representation and action as attorney by the public defender or one of his or her assistants in cases before …

Every person who seeks the services of the office of the public defender under this chapter must make affidavit under oath that, after payment of necessary expenses for food, shelter and medical care, he or she does not have sufficient income or assets to enable him or her to ret…