600.019. Public defender system created--director, appointment, qualifications, compensation, removal from office, procedure. - Missouri Statutes

Public defender system created--director, appointment, qualifications,compensation, removal from office, procedure.

600.019. 1. The "Office of State Public Defender" is herebycreated and established as an independent department of thejudicial branch of state government.

2. The commission shall appoint a director of the office ofstate public defender as head of the office. He shall qualifyand be sworn into office by a judge of the supreme court. Heshall be an attorney with substantial experience in therepresentation of persons accused of crime. He shall haveexperience in administration of personnel and shall be dedicatedto the goals of providing quality legal representation foreligible persons and of improving the quality of defense servicesgenerally.

3. The director shall devote full time to the duties of hisoffice and shall not otherwise engage in the practice of law.His term of office shall be four years and until the appointmentand qualification of a successor. His term may be renewable atthe discretion of the commission. He may be removed by thecommission during his term in office for good cause shown afternotice and hearing.

4. The salary of the director shall be set by the commissionbut shall not exceed that of a circuit judge.

(L. 1982 H.B. 1169)

Effective 4-1-82