(a)(1) The commission shall appoint a public defender for each judicial district and a public defender who shall handle appellate matters and provide legal support services to public defender offices, each of whom shall serve as public defender in the Superior Court and as many assistant public defenders and deputy assistant public defenders for the Superior Court as the criminal or delinquency business of the court may require. (2) This section shall not prevent a judge of the Superior Court from appointing a Division of Public Defender Services assigned counsel on a contractual basis for a temporary period of time in an appropriate case, whose expenses and compensation shall be paid from the budget of the Public Defender Services Commission and in accordance with the rates of compensation approved by the commission pursuant to subdivision (12) of § 51-291. Whenever possible, any such appointment shall be made from a list of attorneys provided by the commission and submitted to the court by the office of Chief Public Defender. Subsequent to an attorney’s appointment as a Division of Public Defender Services assigned counsel, the attorney may not solicit or accept from or on behalf of his or her client any money or article of value of any kind either as a fee for services performed or to be performed or as payment for costs or expenses incurred or to be incurred. (3) At the direction of the Chief Public Defender, any Superior Court public defender, assistant public defender, deputy assistant public defender or other person employed by the Division of Public Defender Services may be required to act in such capacity in another judicial district or geographical area when the demands of criminal business or delinquency proceedings necessitate it.

(b) The commission shall appoint, on recommendation of the Chief Public Defender, and fix the compensation of, all other personnel necessary to the operation of the Division of Public Defender Services.

(c) The term of office for public defenders, assistant public defenders and deputy assistant public defenders shall be for four years and until the appointment and qualification of their successors. Any vacancy in the office of public defender, assistant public defender or deputy assistant public defender may be filled by the commission for the balance of the term of the person he succeeds.

(d) Each public defender, assistant public defender and deputy assistant public defender shall devote his full time to the duties of his office, shall not engage in the private practice of law, and shall not be a partner, member or associate of a law firm.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the commission may, if it believes it to be in the best interest of providing efficient defender services to the public, allow one or more public defenders, assistant public defenders or deputy assistant public defenders to serve on a part-time basis in areas where it determines that part-time services more satisfactorily fulfill the needs of the division and the public.

(f) No public defender, assistant public defender or deputy assistant public defender may be removed from office during his term except by order of the commission after due notice and hearing. A recommendation for removal from office may be initiated by the Chief Public Defender.

(g) A public defender, assistant public defender or deputy assistant public defender may be suspended for cause without pay by the Chief Public Defender for a period of not more than fifteen working days. Such a suspension shall be reviewed by the commission at the request of the public defender, assistant public defender or deputy assistant public defender. If the action of the Chief Public Defender is reversed, full payment of salary for the period of the suspension shall be made. A public defender, assistant public defender or deputy assistant public defender may be suspended or continued under suspension without pay for a period of more than fifteen working days only upon a majority vote of the commission after due notice and a hearing.

(h) Public defenders, assistant public defenders and deputy assistant public defenders shall receive salaries as established by the commission pursuant to this chapter. The salaries paid to public defenders, assistant public defenders and deputy assistant public defenders in the Superior Court shall be comparable to those paid to state’s attorneys, assistant state’s attorneys and deputy assistant state’s attorneys in the various judicial districts in the court.

(i) The public defenders and assistant public defenders shall, at the time of their appointment, be attorneys-at-law, admitted to the practice of law in this state.