J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                     1101

Maryland), title "Harford County," to follow immediately after Sec-
tion 461 thereof, and to be under the new subtitle "Public Defender,"
and all to read as follows:

Public Defender
461A.

The Office of Public Defender is hereby established in Harford
County. The public defender shall be appointed by the judges of
the Circuit Court for Harford County and shall serve at their will.

461B.

To be eligible for appointment to the office of Public Defender, a
person shall have been admitted to practice law before the Court of
Appeals of Maryland for at least one year prior to his appointment
and shall have demonstrated to the satisfaction of the appointing au-
thority that he possesses the necessary skills and legal qualifications
to discharge the responsibilities of the Office of Public Defender
properly, adequately, and vigorously in defending indigents charged
with crimes.

461C.

The public defender shall perform the following duties:

Upon request of a defendant and upon order of the court, he shall
defend, at all stages of the proceedings, without expense to the de-
fendant, any person who is not financially able to employ counsel
and who is charged with the commission of any contempt of offense
triable in the Circuit Court for Harford County. The public defender
shall, upon request, give counsel and advice to such person about
any charge against him upon which the public defender is conduct-
ing the defense, and shall prosecute all appeals to a higher court or
courts of any person who has been convicted, where, in his opinion,
the appeal will or might reasonably be expected to result in the
reversal or modification of the judgment of conviction.

461D.

The Board of County Commissioners of Harford County may pro-
vide such secretarial assistance and room for the use of the public
defender, and such office furniture and supplies as may be necessary
to properly conduct the business of his office. Such expenses shall
be a charge on Harford County.

461E.

The expense of printing briefs on appeal on behalf of a defendant
represented by a public defender shall be a charge to the State of
Maryland.

461F.

The public defender shall keep a record of all services rendered
by him in the exercise of his office and shall file an annual report
with the Board of County Commissioners of Harford County.