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public defender
noun
: a lawyer usually holding public office whose duty is to defend accused persons unable to pay for legal assistance
Examples of public defender in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The announcement was bare in details, which a federal public defender who has spent years representing numerous people on Tennessee's death row used to criticize the department.
—Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 27 Dec. 2024
Routh’s public defender asked for the Feb. 10 trial to be delayed until December, but U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon landed on Sept. 8 for the forthcoming jury trial, according to an order Tuesday evening.
—Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 24 Dec. 2024
Cantey's public defender did not immediately respond to a phone call and email from The Enquirer.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 17 Dec. 2024
Steven Gilmore, his public defender, has argued those missing details should render the indictment against his client null and void.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 6 Dec. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1822, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near public defender
Cite this Entry
“Public defender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20defender. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
Legal Definition
public defender
noun
: a lawyer usually holding public office who represents criminal defendants unable to pay for legal assistance
More from Merriam-Webster on public defender
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for public defender
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about public defender
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