Volume 176, Page 268 View pdf image (33K) |
268 MARYLAND MANUAL Paul J. Staken, District Public Defender The terms of all members of the District Advisory Boards for the Public Defender System expire on January 1, 1975. 800 Equitable Building, Baltimore 21202 Telephone: 383-3053 The Public Defender System was created by Chapter 209, Acts of 1971, to provide for the realization of the constitutional guarantees of counsel in the representation of indigents, including related neces- sary services and facilities, in criminal and juvenile proceedings with- in the State, and to assure effective assistance and continuity of counsel to indigent accused taken into custody and indigent de- fendants in criminal and juvenile proceedings before the Courts of the State of Maryland, and to authorize the Office of Public Defender to administer and assure enforcement of these provisions. The Board of Trustees of the Public Defender System consists of three members appointed by the Governor for three-year terms. Two of the members must be active attorneys-at-law. The Board elects its own Chairman. The Public Defender is appointed by the Board of Trustees and serves at the Board's pleasure. He must be an attorney-at-law, ad- mitted to practice law in Maryland by the Court of Appeals, and must have engaged in the practice of law for a period of five years prior to his appointment. The Public Defender, with the approval of the Board of Trustees, appoints the Deputy Public Defender and one District Public Defender for each District of the District Court who must possess the same qualifications as the Public Defender. Assist- ant Public Defenders may also be appointed by the Public Defender with the advice of the District Public Defenders. Each District has a District Advisory Board composed of five mem- bers. One member is the judge of the Circuit Court or the District Court in the district. The other four must be active attorneys-at-law and are appointed by the Governor for three-year terms. The Gov- ernor designates the chairman of each board annually. The Public Defender provides legal representation for any indigent defendant in criminal or juvenile proceedings requiring the presence of counsel before a commissioner or judge, proceedings under the Defective Delinquents laws, post-conviction proceedings, and any other proceeding where incarceration pursuant to a judicial commitment of individuals in institutions of a public or private nature may result. The law applies only to representation in or respect to the courts of Maryland. He must submit a report annually to the Board of Trustees and the Governor and General Assembly. The system commenced operation on January 1, 1972 (Code 1957, 1971 Repl. Vol., 1972 Supp., Art.27A). Appropriations 1973 1974 General Funds ................. $3,829,581 $4,342,518 Staff: 231. PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION Chairman: Robert L. Sullivan, Jr., 1977 H. Reese Shoemaker, Jr., 1975; William S. Baldwin, 1979. M. Bayne Brooke, Substitute 1978 Vacancy, General Counsel, 1973. Martin H. Freedman, People's Counsel Frank J. Wasowicz, Acting Secretary John W. Dorsey, Chief Engineer |
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Volume 176, Page 268 View pdf image (33K) |
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