Montana Code Annotated 2019

TITLE 47. ACCESS TO LEGAL SERVICES

CHAPTER 1. STATEWIDE PUBLIC DEFENDER SYSTEM

Part 1. General

Definitions

47-1-103. Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the following definitions apply:

(1) "Court" means the supreme court, a district court, a youth court, a justice's court, a municipal court, or a city court.

(2) "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.

(3) "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.

(4) "Office" means the office of state public defender established in 2-15-1029.

(5) "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.

(6) "Statewide public defender system", "state system", or "system" means the system of public defender services established pursuant to this chapter.

History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 449, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 24, L. 2011; amd. Sec. 20, Ch. 358, L. 2017.