Definitions

The following words and phrases as used in this chapter have the following meanings, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) "Assigned counsel" means private attorneys who are hired by the state public defender director to handle the cases of eligible persons from time to time on a case basis; (2) "Assistant public defender", a staff attorney within a particular public defender office responsible for the handling of cases of eligible persons; (3) "Commission", the public defender commission; (4) "Defender(s)", includes both attorneys which serve as staff attorneys in the state defender system and contract counsel, but does not include secretarial, investigative, social service, or paraprofessional staff; (5) "Deputy director", the attorney or attorneys appointed by the commission to assist the state public defender director and to temporarily exercise the duties and powers of the director in his or her absence or upon his or her resignation, pending the commission's appointment of a new director; (6) "Deputy district defender", an attorney who assists the district defender in the management and supervision of a public defender district office and performs the duty of the district defender in his or her absence; (7) "Director", the state public defender director; (8) "District defender", the managing attorney in charge of a public defender district office; (9) "Division director", an employee responsible for the supervision and management of multiple district offices or areas of statewide responsibility as assigned by the director, or both; (10) "Eligible person", a person who falls within the financial rules for legal representation at public expense prescribed by section 600.086; (11) "State public defender system", a system for providing defense services to every jurisdiction within the state by means of a centrally administered organization having a full-time staff.