The New Jersey Office of the Public Defender (OPD) is an
agency
Agency may refer to:
Organizations
* Institution, governmental or others
** Advertising agency or marketing agency, a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients
** Employment agency, a business that ...
that is a part of the government of the state of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
The agency provides
legal aid
Legal aid is the provision of assistance to people who are unable to afford legal representation and access to the court system. Legal aid is regarded as central in providing access to justice by ensuring equality before the law, the right to co ...
to "low income people charged with major crimes."
The agency was first established in 1967.
In 1974, the agency was incorporated into
New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate
The New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate was a department within the Executive branch of the government of New Jersey that acted as a voice on behalf of the people of the state. It was responsible to make government "more accountable and r ...
.
With the abolition of the Public Advocate in 1994, the OPD became organized "
in but not of" the Department of the Treasury to ensure its independence from the
New Jersey Attorney General
The attorney general of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state and oversees the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Department of Law and Public Safety. The office is appointed by the governor of New Jersey, confir ...
.
Although the OPD by definition represents low-income defendants, its 1967 enabling legislation required that "in cases where it appears that the defendant has the means to meet some of the cost of services rendered by the public defender, the defendant is required to reimburse the office." This requirement was eliminated in 2023 with the passage of Senate Bill S3771 and its enactment into law.
In December 2023, Jennifer Sellitti was appointed to succeed Joseph E. Krakora as the Public Defender, and will take office effective February 1, 2024.
New state public defender aims to bring modern approach to indigent defense
New Jersey Monitor, Jan. 23, 2024
See also
*Public defender
A public defender is a lawyer appointed to represent people who otherwise cannot reasonably afford to hire a lawyer to defend themselves in a trial. Several countries provide people with public defenders, including the UK, Hungary and Singapore, ...
References
External links
New Jersey Office of the Public Defender website
Legal aid in the United States
Criminal defense organizations
Public defense institutions
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