Section 27706 Of Chapter 13. Public Defender From California Government Code >> Division 2. >> Title 3. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 13.
27706
. The public defender shall perform the following duties:
(a) Upon request of the defendant or upon order of the court, the
public defender shall defend, without expense to the defendant,
except as provided by Section 987.8 of the Penal Code, any person who
is not financially able to employ counsel and who is charged with
the commission of any contempt or offense triable in the superior
courts at all stages of the proceedings, including the preliminary
examination. The public defender shall, upon request, give counsel
and advice to such person about any charge against the person upon
which the public defender is conducting the defense, and shall
prosecute all appeals to a higher court or courts of any person who
has been convicted, where, in the opinion of the public defender, the
appeal will or might reasonably be expected to result in the
reversal or modification of the judgment of conviction.
(b) Upon request, the public defender shall prosecute actions for
the collection of wages and other demands of any person who is not
financially able to employ counsel, where the sum involved does not
exceed one hundred dollars ($100), and where, in the judgment of the
public defender, the claim urged is valid and enforceable in the
courts.
(c) Upon request, the public defender shall defend any person who
is not financially able to employ counsel in any civil litigation in
which, in the judgment of the public defender, the person is being
persecuted or unjustly harassed.
(d) Upon request, or upon order of the court, the public defender
shall represent any person who is not financially able to employ
counsel in proceedings under Division 4 (commencing with Section
1400) of the Probate Code and Part 1 (commencing with Section 5000)
of Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(e) Upon order of the court, the public defender shall represent
any person who is entitled to be represented by counsel but is not
financially able to employ counsel in proceedings under Chapter 2
(commencing with Section 500) of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Welfare
and Institutions Code.
(f) Upon order of the court the public defender shall represent
any person who is required to have counsel pursuant to Section 686.1
of the Penal Code.
(g) Upon the order of the court or upon the request of the person
involved, the public defender may represent any person who is not
financially able to employ counsel in a proceeding of any nature
relating to the nature or conditions of detention, of other
restrictions prior to adjudication, of treatment, or of punishment
resulting from criminal or juvenile proceedings.