imprisonment, juvenile delinquency proceedings and all critical
proceedings subsequent to arrest; and
WHEREAS, The Constitution of Pennsylvania also guarantees to
indigent criminal defendants a right to counsel; and
WHEREAS, Since 1776, the Constitution of Pennsylvania has
provided that:
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused hath a right to
be heard by himself and his counsel[;];
and
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provides indigent
criminal defendant representation through a variety of means,
including a county-based public defender system, court-appointed
counsel, conflict counsel, pro bono representation and others;
and
WHEREAS, The Public Defender Act, the act of December 2, 1968
(P.L.1144, No.358), mandates that:
In each county except the County of Philadelphia, there
shall be a public defender, appointed as herein provided.
Two or more counties may cooperate in the appointment of
a public defender, as provided in the intergovernmental
cooperation provisions of the Constitution of
Pennsylvania or as provided by law[;];
and
WHEREAS, The Public Defender Act further provides that:
In lieu of, or in addition to assistant public defenders,
the public defender may arrange for and make use of the
services of attorneys at law admitted to practice before
the Supreme and Superior Courts of this Commonwealth and
the court of common pleas of the county or counties in
which they may serve, when such attorneys volunteer to
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