HARRY HUGHES, Governor

769

who shall possess the same qualifications as the Public Defender
to be eligible for appointment, who shall assist the Public
Defender in the performance of the duties of his office, and who
shall, subject to the supervision of the Public Defender, be in
charge of the public defender offices in the district for which
he is appointed. Assistant public defenders may be appointed by
the Public Defender, with the advice of the district public
defenders, in such number as authorized by the budget. To be
qualified for appointment as an assistant public defender, a
person must be an attorney-at-law and admitted to practice law in
the State of Maryland by the Court of Appeals of Maryland. The
deputy public defender, district public defenders, and assistant
public [defenders,] DEFENDERS shall serve at the pleasure of the
Public Defender, shall not engage in the private practice of
criminal law, and shall receive such salaries as provided in the
budget.

4.

(c)  This article applies only to representation in or with
respect to the courts of this State. It does not prohibit the
Public Defender's Office from representing an indigent person in
a federal court of the United States at federal expense, if the
matter arises out of, or is related to, an action pending or
recently pending in a court of criminal jurisdiction of this
State. Any compensation paid by the federal court to the Public
Defender, his deputy, district public defenders, or assistant
public [defenders,] DEFENDERS shall be remitted to the general
funds of the State.

(d)  Representation by the Office of the Public [Defender]
DEFENDER, or by an attorney appointed by the Office of the Public
Defender, shall extend to all stages in the proceedings,
including custody, interrogation, preliminary hearing,
arraignment, trial, and appeal, if any, and shall continue until
the final disposition of the cause, or until the assigned
attorney is relieved by the Public Defender or by order of the
court in which the cause is pending.

5.

The Public [Defender] DEFENDER:

(a) Shall assume general responsibility for the operation
of the Office of Public Defender and all district offices;

6.

(c) The primary duty of all panel attorneys appointed by
the Office of the Public Defender shall be to the individual
defendant, with like effect and to the same purpose as though
privately engaged by the indigent person and without regard to
the use of public funds to provide the service. This shall not
preclude the designation or assignment of different individuals
to perform various parts of the service from time to time. A