Public Defender
A government-employed attorney who represents people charged with crimes who cannot afford to hire a private lawyer.
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Detailed Explanation
The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to counsel in criminal cases. If you cannot afford an attorney, the court appoints a public defender at no cost to you. Public defenders are licensed attorneys, often with significant trial experience. However, they typically carry extremely heavy caseloads (sometimes 100+ cases), which limits the time they can dedicate to each client.
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