Good Example Of Role Of Public Defender Question & Answer

Public defenders are often negatively portrayed in the media and popular culture. They are unfairly stigmatized and stereotyped as being incompetent, overworked, and lazy. While the prosecutor is responsible for zealously bringing forth and proving criminal charges against the defendant, it is the public defender’s job to zealously advocate and protect the defendant’s individual rights. In the community corrections realm, the role of public defenders should be to represent these low-level offenders and ensure that throughout the adjudication process, their rights are preserved. Within community corrections, a public defender may represent juvenile offenders or defendants who are accused of misdemeanors and other petty crimes. When representing these defendants, the public defender’s role is to protect the defendant’s rights and ensure that proceedings are administered fairly and in the interest of justice.
The public defender’s primary role is to ensure that the defendant is presented to the jury or the judge in the best possible light. The public defender should investigate all charges fully and should raise any mitigating evidence or factors that could serve to lessen the sentence. But the public defender’s job does not stop after the defendant’s case is disposed of. An effective public defender will continue to maintain an active presence throughout the criminal justice system, advocating for enhances rights and better representation for defendants in the criminal justice system.
The appropriate role for the public defenders in community corrections is to safeguard the rights of defendants who cannot stand up for their own rights. The public defender’s proper job is not simply to “get defendants off” or help guilty defendants go free, but to protect the defendant’s rights. I believe a public defender should be a champion of individual rights and should ensure that other institutional actors do not trump or disregard the defendant’s rights during the criminal justice process.