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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>69563</law_id><section_number>19.2-163.3</section_number><catch_line>Duties of public defenders</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>19.2-163.01:1</reference><reference>19.2-327.11</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="19.2">Criminal Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="10">Disability of Judge or Attorney for Commonwealth; Court- Appointed Counsel; Interpreters; Transcripts</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="4">Public Defenders</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p><span class="dictionary">Public defenders</span> shall carry out the following duties in accordance with the guidance, policies, and authorizations of the <span class="dictionary">Indigent</span> Defense Commission:</p></section>
						<section id="a"><p><span class="prefix-number">a.</span> To assist the executive director of the Commission in securing office space, to employ a staff, to fix salaries and to do such other things necessary to carry out the duties imposed upon them with the approval of the Commission. <a id="paragraph-251484" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-163.3/#a"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="b"><p><span class="prefix-number">b.</span> To represent or supervise assistants in representing within their respective <span class="dictionary">jurisdictions</span> as set out in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Public defender offices" href="/19.2-163.04/">19.2-163.04</a> <span class="dictionary">indigent</span> persons charged with a <span class="dictionary">crime</span> or <span class="dictionary">offense</span> when such persons are entitled to be represented by <span class="dictionary">law</span> by <span class="dictionary">court</span>-appointed <span class="dictionary">counsel</span> in a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of record or a <span class="dictionary">court</span> not of record. <a id="paragraph-251485" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-163.3/#b"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="c"><p><span class="prefix-number">c.</span> To represent or supervise assistants in representing <span class="dictionary">indigent</span> persons who are entitled to be represented by <span class="dictionary">court</span>-appointed <span class="dictionary">counsel</span> in an <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> of their <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> to the <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of <span class="dictionary">Appeals</span> or the Supreme <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of Virginia. <a id="paragraph-251486" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-163.3/#c"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="d"><p><span class="prefix-number">d.</span> To submit such reports as required by the Commission. <a id="paragraph-251487" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-163.3/#d"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 19.1-32.4; 1972, c. 800; 1975, c. 495; 1978, c. 698; 1979, c. 194; 1990, c. 734; 1992, c. 80; 2007, c. 680.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
