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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
Dixon is set to be arraigned on Jan. 27, online records show, and is represented by a public defender.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
His assistant public defender, Darren Johnson, declined to comment on Thursday about the case.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2025
On June 19, 2020, Ms. Morrison left her job as a public defender in Nashville to move home with her mother in Cape May, N.J., to help with Ms. Wilsey’s care.
—Jenny Block, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
After stints as an elementary school teacher and a federal public defender.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 24 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 18 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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