The following words and phrases as used in this chapter have the following meanings, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) “Assigned counsel” means private attorneys who are hired by the state public defender director to handle the cases of eligible persons from time to time on a case basis;

Terms Used In Missouri Laws 600.011

  • Commission: the public defender commission. See Missouri Laws 600.011
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Director: the state public defender director. See Missouri Laws 600.011
  • District defender: the managing attorney in charge of a public defender district office. See Missouri Laws 600.011
  • following: when used by way of reference to any section of the statutes, mean the section next preceding or next following that in which the reference is made, unless some other section is expressly designated in the reference. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
  • State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020

(2) “Assistant public defender”, a staff attorney within a particular public defender office responsible for the handling of cases of eligible persons;

(3) “Commission”, the public defender commission;

(4) “Defender(s)”, includes both attorneys which serve as staff attorneys in the state defender system and contract counsel, but does not include secretarial, investigative, social service, or paraprofessional staff;

(5) “Deputy director”, the attorney or attorneys appointed by the commission to assist the state public defender director and to temporarily exercise the duties and powers of the director in his or her absence or upon his or her resignation, pending the commission’s appointment of a new director;

(6) “Deputy district defender”, an attorney who assists the district defender in the management and supervision of a public defender district office and performs the duty of the district defender in his or her absence;

(7) “Director”, the state public defender director;

(8) “District defender”, the managing attorney in charge of a public defender district office;

(9) “Division director”, an employee responsible for the supervision and management of multiple district offices or areas of statewide responsibility as assigned by the director, or both;

(10) “Eligible person”, a person who falls within the financial rules for legal representation at public expense prescribed by section 600.086;

(11) “State public defender system”, a system for providing defense services to every jurisdiction within the state by means of a centrally administered organization having a full-time staff.

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