Public Defender

The Office of Public Defender provides legal representation to any persons charged with a criminal offense where incarceration is a possibility and who is unable to retain a private attorney. (55 ILCS 5/3-4006). A Public Defender should be available to individuals at the time of the first court appearance. The Public Defender provides legal representation in the areas of criminal, misdemeanor, juvenile justice, child protection, appeals, post-conviction and traffic cases.