Administration

Obtaining a Public Defender

To obtain the services of a public defender attorney, you must fill out a Request for Lawyer form and file it with the clerk’s office of the court in which you have been charged with a crime (Court locations). A link to the Circuit Court Request for Lawyer form is here and a link to the Superior Court Request for Lawyer form is here. Once the court has found that you qualify for a public defender, it will send a form notifying the Program that it has been appointed to represent you.

Before your court date, you will have an ample opportunity to meet with your lawyer and prepare for court. It is very important that you keep your appointments to meet with your lawyer. It is also important that you make sure your lawyer and the court know if you change your address or phone number.

If the court appoints counsel, you will be directed to contact the Office of Cost Containment in Concord to arrange to pay for part of the cost of appointing a lawyer.  The phone number for that office is (603) 271-1436.  A link explaining this repayment process is here. Please be assured that the repayment arrangement has no impact on the Public Defender’s appointment to represent you or its commitment to your case.