A public defender is a private lawyer appointed by the court to represent a defendant who cannot afford to hire a private attorney. In Massachusetts, these private lawyers, members of the Massachusetts Bar Advocate Program, are employed by the government to represent indigent clients in criminal cases.
The Commonwealth pays public defenders, but not nearly as much as other states do, and the Massachusetts advocates are refusing to take new cases until the compensation improves.
An MBA press release says Massachusetts pays public defenders $65 per hour for District Court and $85 for Superior Court counsel…