Description:
Every individual accused of committing a criminal ("indictable") offense in adult court or any offense in juvenile court has a constitutional right to be defended by a lawyer. The New Jersey Office of the Public Defender (NJOPD) represents adult and juvenile clients who are charged with criminal and juvenile offenses in New Jersey state courts when the court determines that they cannot afford to hire private lawyers. While clients do receive and are expected to pay bills for many of the services of the NJOPD, clients are fully represented whether or not they can afford to pay.