The Public Defender's Office represents people charged with some types of criminal cases that are misdemeanors in the Phoenix Municipal Court. A person accused of committing a criminal offense is entitled to have an attorney represent them. However, a person is not always entitled free representation. In other words, you can always hire an attorney to represent yourself, but you need to qualify for free (or reduced cost) attorney representation. In very general terms, if you are facing possible jail time and cannot afford to hire an attorney, the judge will appoint an attorney to represent you. Here is how you can qualify for free (or reduced cost) representation Phoenix Municipal Court:
- You are being charged with a misdemeanor offense, and
- You are facing possible jail time as a sentence, or
- It is in the interests of justice for the court to appoint an attorney to represent you.
