public defender
55
3.8
- noun
- /ˈpʌblɪk dɪˈfɛndər/
- US
:
defensor público
- Many people rely on a public defender when they cannot afford a private lawyer.
- prosecutors and public defenders
- public defender's office
- federal public defender
He doesn't hire a private lawyer, but accepts a public defender.
- He doesn't hire a private lawyer, but accepts a public defender.
- Victoria works as a New York County public defender.
- It's a money because if you don't have the money to get a good attorney, then you're stuck with a public defender.
- And we've been fighting over the last few years trying to even the playing field and trying to provide excellent public defender services for poor folks in the parish.
- He had represented Mitchell when he was a public defender long ago, early in his career before he became a member of the court.
- So first of all, amazing public defender.
Examples
-
The judge appointed a public defender to ensure the defendant received a fair trial.
-
She's a public defender in Brooklyn.
-
Now, look, either pay me or go with a public defender.
-
Yeah, the public defender mentioned that.
-
Let the public defender handle your case.
-
A public defender will be fine.
-
In theory, there is the public defender, who is appointed by the state attorney general.
Academic text (1999) -
I'm the public defender assigned to your son's case?
-
I've worked in state court as a public defender representing people accused of crimes for years.
-
And we've been fighting over the last few years trying to even the playing field and trying to provide excellent public defender services for poor folks in the parish.
Synonyms
∞
4.6
A lawyer who gives legal advice and represents people in court
713
4.3
A lawyer who speaks for someone in court
146
5.8
A lawyer who speaks for a client in court
144
3.4
A lawyer who speaks for someone accused of a crime in court
57
3.2
A lawyer who helps someone accused of a crime in court
36
3.6
A person who represents people in court during trials
20
6.8
A lawyer who represents people in court cases
13
3.7
Help from a lawyer in legal matters and in court
8
4.7
A lawyer who speaks for clients in court cases before a judge or jury
1
7.8
A lawyer who speaks in court for someone
How Experienced
- US
∞
4.6
- Formal
713
4.3
- US
55
3.8
- Formal
3
3.9
229
3.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly built from 'public' (provided by the state or nonprivate) + 'defender' (someone who defends), so a learner who knows both words can infer this refers to a state-provided lawyer who defends people in court. The compound is compositional and has clear cross-linguistic equivalents in many legal systems, making it transparent for B1 learners.
Etymology
Public defender comes from the simple idea that public means the town or government and defender is someone who protects you. Imagine a town giving a lawyer to stand up for a person who 'cannot afford a lawyer'. So, today a public defender is a lawyer the government pays to represent people who can't pay for one.