Excepción para oficinas de defensores públicos en Virginia

Explicación Simple

Si alguien es acusado de un delito y no tiene dinero para un abogado, un defensor público lo ayudará. Sin embargo, si hay un problema de interés o el defensor no puede manejar más casos, puede necesitarse otro abogado.

Es como cuando en un equipo de fútbol, el entrenador necesita cambiar a un jugador porque está cansado o no puede jugar por una lesión. A veces, se necesita un nuevo jugador para que el equipo funcione bien.

Ejemplo Práctico

Imagina que Juan, un joven de 20 años, es acusado de un delito menor. No tiene dinero para un abogado, así que se le asigna un defensor público. Sin embargo, el defensor tiene muchos casos y no puede atender a Juan, por lo que el juez decide nombrar a otro abogado para que lo represente.

Penalidades

Si eres condenado, se cobrarán costos de representación como parte de los gastos del juicio.

Texto Original del Estatuto (Inglés)

Va. Code § 19.2-163.4 - Inapplicability of §§ 17.1-606 and 19.2-163 where public defender offices established; exception. In counties and cities in which public defender offices are established pursuant to § 19.2-163.04 , defense services for indigents charged with jailable offenses shall be provided by the public defenders unless (i) the public defender is unable to represent the defendant or petitioner by reason of conflict of interest; (ii) the court finds that appointment of other counsel is necessary to attain the ends of justice; or (iii) the public defender, with the concurrence of the executive director of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission or his designee, determines that the current active caseload would preclude the public defender from providing adequate representation to new clients. Except for the provisions of § 19.2-163 relating to reasonable expenses, §§ 17.1-606 and 19.2-163 shall not apply when defense services are provided by the public defenders. Code 1950, § 19.1-32.5; 1972, c. 800; 1975, cc. 476, 495; 1992, c. 80; 1994, c. 415 ; 2024, c. 524 . Va. Code § 19.2-163.4:1 - Repayment of representation costs by convicted persons. In any case in which an attorney from a public defender office represents an indigent person charged with an offense and such person is convicted, the sum that would have been allowed a court-appointed attorney as compensation and as reasonable expenses shall be taxed against the person defended as a part of the costs of the prosecution, and, if collected, shall be paid to the Commonwealth or, if payment was made to the Commonwealth by a locality for defense of a local ordinance violation, to the appropriate county, city or town. An abstract of such costs shall be docketed in the judgment lien docket and execution book