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HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 1967-065.,~~ ~, ~~ s =~ `~ . m f ~: ~M CGUiVIY OF HAl°lAII - STATE OF HAWAII ORllINA1JCE N0. 65 AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC DEFENDER AND DEFINING I15 FUNCTIONS, DUTIES AND POWERS. BE IT ORDAINED BY 'fHE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAIIs SECTION 1. Office of Public Defender. There is hereby established an Office of the Public Defender for the County of Hawaii. The Office of the Public Defender shall be headed by a Public Defender who shall be the responsible officer in charge of the office. SECTI01`1 2~ Appointment and tenure. The Chairman and Executive Officer of the fioard of Supervisors, with the approval of the Board of Supervisors, shall appoint the Public Defender whose term of office shall be coterminous with that of tine appointing authority. SECTION 3, ~uali.fi.:ations. The Public Defender shall be an attorney licensed to practice and in good standing before the Supreme Court of the State. SECTION 4. Functions, duties and powers. The Public Defender shall represent as counsel, without charge, each indigent person who ~s taken into custody or charged with committing a misdemeanor or felony, if (a) the defendant requests it; or (b) the court, on its own motion or otherwise, refers the defendant to the Public Defender, and the defendant does not affirmatively reject of record the op;,ortunity to be represented by legal counsel in such proceeding. Ori. ll~. ~ `~ ~-- Fli~ Nom. _.-..- 1L. L Yw htw -- - SECTION 5. Extent of service. lNhen representing an indigent person, the Public Defender shall: (a) counsel and defend him, whether he is held in custody or charged with a misdemeanor or felony, at every stage of the proceedings commencing from the custodial interrogation of the accused. (b) prosecute any appeal or other remedies before or after conviction that he considers in the interest of justice or which may be required by law. SECTION 6. Determination of indigency. The determina- tion of indigency shall be made by the Public Defender. For purposes of this Ordinance an indigent person is one who is financially unable to afford his own counsel. SECTION 7. Appointment of employees. The Public Defender may employ an investigator, stenographer, and other assistants as may be necessary to aid him in the performance of the duties of his office and for which appropriations and funds have been provided by the Board of Supervisors. The investigator shall perform similar duties to the investigator assigned to the Office of the County Attorney and shall, insofar as possible, have equivalent training, experience and salary. SECTION 8. Full time and salary. The Public Defender shall be required to devote his full time and attention to the conduct of the duties of his office. The salary of the Public Defender shall be fixed by the Board of ;;upervisors in the Salary Ordinance. SECTION 9. Appointment by case. In the event the position of Public Defender cannot be filled on a full-time basis, the Chairman and Executive Officer of the Board of Supervisors is authorized to enter into contracts with attorneys, on a case-by-case basis, to render the services - 2- provided herein. Attorneys appointed in this manner shall be compensated in accordance with a fee schedule approved by the Board of Supervisors. SECTION 10. Bvnd. The Public llefender shall give a bond in the sum of $3,000 with good and sufficient Buret;y for the faithful performance of the duties of his office. The bond shall be deposited with the Treasurer of the County. SECTION 11. Severability. If any provisions of this Ordinance, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, such invalidity shall not. affect other provisions or applications of this ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this Ordinance are declared to be severable. -3-