Why are statutes important if we want to learn more about working as a Public Defender? As a Public Defender, your role is authorized by statute, whether at the federal or state level.
FEDERAL
One example of statutory law describes how each federal district must create a plan for providing legal counsel for those who cannot afford it. You can find this section of the United States Code across several research platforms, such as Lexis+, Westlaw Precision, and several free sources.
18 U.S.C.S. § 3006A (LexisNexis)
18 U.S.C.A. § 3006A (Westlaw)
18 U.S.C. § 3006A (Justia, FindLaw, etc.)
Lexis, Westlaw, HeinOnline, and several free databases include the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure for the United States. Below is one example of finding a federal rule using Lexis+.
If a researcher wanted to find the rule affecting initial appearances, they can start by first selecting Federal sources in Lexis+, and then looking for USCS - Federal Rules Annotated. If you knew that this specific rule has to do with initial appearances, you could enter that topic, but your search return would list several other instances as well as the rule you want to see. Entering the citation will take you directly to the rule.
Here is another example using a different database.
Fed. R. Crim. P. 44
This rule is about the "Right to and appointment of counsel." To find it on Westlaw, first choose Federal materials. Then choose United States Code Annotated (USCA). Enter the citation to find the rule.
There are many federal rules that affect the work of a public defender. You can find them using any of the resources at the bottom of the page.
NORTH CAROLINA
You can find North Carolina statutory authority directly affecting the work of public defenders in each of the databases listed at the bottom of his page. The official version of North Carolina statutes is published by Lexis. You can see a section of such a statute below from Lexis+.
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-603 (Lexis)
You can also find the same section of the same statute in Westlaw as shown below. However, only the Lexis version is the official one.
N.C.G.S.A. § 15A-603 (Westlaw)
You can see another example of a statute that directly affects the works of public defenders below. This section of the statute establishes the offices for public defenders throughout North Carolina. Use the link below for Lexis+, which will take you directly to statutes where you can find other examples.
Use the links below to continue your research into statues and learn about the various ways laws and rules impact the work of public defenders.
When you click on the link above you will be directed to FindLaw's codes page. Remember this is a free resource. You will find a Search by Keyword or Citation search box. Below that are the links to search the US Code by titles and a link for the Code of Federal Regulations. Below those are links for statutes for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The Justia link above will take you to the US Law, Case Law, Codes, Statutes, & Regulations page for this free resource.
The link above opens on a page in Lexis+ from which you can choose from the following categories: Content Type (Note: Codes), Federal & Tribal, State, and Practice Area. Within the Codes Content Type you will find these categories: Federal, Tribal, State, and Practice Area. Choose any resource within the category you're interested in to find primary authority related to public defenders, right counsel, etc.
This link will take you to the Westlaw page for Statutes and Court Rules. Choose from these categories: Federal, State, Other Jurisdictions, and Topical.