Terms Used In Montana Code > Title 47 > Chapter 1 > Part 2 - Public Defender Services

• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Court: means the supreme court, a district court, a youth court, a justice's court, a municipal court, or a city court. See Montana Code 47-1-103
• Director: means the director of the office of state public defender hired by the director of the department of administration as provided in 2-15-1029. See Montana Code 47-1-103
• Indigent: means that a person has been determined under the provisions of 47-1-111 to be indigent and financially unable to retain private counsel. See Montana Code 47-1-103
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Office: means the office of state public defender established in 2-15-1029. See Montana Code 47-1-103
• Public defender: means an attorney employed by or under contract with the office and assigned to provide legal counsel to a person under the provisions of this chapter, including attorneys employed by or under contract with the appellate defender division and the conflict defender division. See Montana Code 47-1-103
• Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
• State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Montana Code 1-1-201