The public defender shall have the following powers and duties:
- (1) Within his or her geographic jurisdiction, the public defender shall provide indigent defense services as defined in Section 15-12-1 to indigent defendants.
- (2) The public defender, at the request and with the consent of a municipal governing body and the office, shall represent indigent defendants in a municipal court within his or her geographic jurisdiction. The municipality shall reimburse the office of the public defender for the costs associated with the services rendered.
- (3) The public defender, with consent of the director, may represent an indigent defendant in a state appellate court.
(Acts 1975, No. 1205, §9-106; Act 2011-678, p. 1862, §6.)