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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>74060</law_id><section_number>19.2-163.4</section_number><catch_line>Inapplicability of &#xA7;&#xA7; 17.1-606 and 19.2-163 where public defender offices established; exception</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><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>In counties and cities in which <span class="dictionary">public defender</span> offices are established pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Public defender offices" href="/19.2-163.04/">19.2-163.04</a>, defense services for <span class="dictionary">indigents</span> charged with jailable <span class="dictionary">offenses</span> shall be provided by the <span class="dictionary">public defenders</span> unless (i) the <span class="dictionary">public defender</span> is unable to represent the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> or petitioner by reason of <span class="dictionary">conflict of interest</span>; (ii) the <span class="dictionary">court</span> finds that appointment of other <span class="dictionary">counsel</span> is necessary to attain the ends of justice; or (iii) the <span class="dictionary">public defender</span>, with the concurrence of the executive director of the Virginia <span class="dictionary">Indigent</span> Defense Commission or his designee, determines that the current active <span class="dictionary">caseload</span> would preclude the <span class="dictionary">public defender</span> from providing adequate representation to new clients. Except for the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Compensation of court-appointed counsel" href="/19.2-163/">19.2-163</a> relating to reasonable expenses, &#xA7;&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Persons allowed services without fees or costs" href="/17.1-606/">17.1-606</a> and <a class="law" title="Compensation of court-appointed counsel" href="/19.2-163/">19.2-163</a> shall not apply when defense services are provided by the <span class="dictionary">public defenders</span>.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 19.1-32.5; 1972, c. 800; 1975, cc. 476, 495; 1992, c. 80; 1994, c. 415; 2024, c. 524.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
