public defender 
noun US Law
A lawyer employed by the state in a criminal trial to represent a defendant who is unable to afford legal assistance.And most are defended not by private attorneys but by public defenders or appointed lawyers....
- A parole petition had to be agreed upon by the public defender, district attorney's office, and the presiding judge.
- Texas has no public defenders at all; defendants must rely on court-appointed lawyers who are given few resources with which to mount a defense.