Legal Question in Criminal Law in Indiana

If you have a criminal matter and cannot afford to hire your own attorney the Court will provide you with court appointed counsel often referred to as a public defender. Some counties in Indiana have established public defender offices or agencies while others draw from a pool of qualified, available attorneys in the community who may also maintain private offices and practices. Since the 1963 US Supreme Court decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, defendants in state courts have been entitled to Court appointed counsel under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution if they are unable to afford to hire their own lawyer.