(a) For the purposes of this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings ascribed to them in this section.
(b) "Office" means the Office of Public Defender, including district
offices of the Public Defender and such branch offices as are deemed
necessary and hereinafter described.
(c) "District" means an area comprising one or more political
subdivisions conforming to the geographic boundaries of the District
Court districts established in § 1-602 of the Courts Article of the
Code.
(d) "District public defender" means the district public defender of
each of the various districts described in subsection (c) of this
section.
(e) "Panel attorney" means any attorney licensed to practice law in the
State of Maryland and who qualifies and is eligible for appointment as
counsel to an indigent person as defined by this article.
(f) "Indigent" means any person taken into custody or charged with a
serious crime as herein defined under the laws of the State of Maryland
or the laws and ordinances of any county, municipality, or Baltimore
City, who under oath or affirmation subscribes and states in writing
that he is financially unable, without undue hardship, to provide for
the full payment of an attorney and all other necessary expenses of
legal representation.
(g) "Expenses", when used with reference to representation under this
article, means all costs incident to investigation, other pretrial
preparation, trial and appeal of a person accused of a serious crime.
(h) "Serious crime" means:
(1) A felony;
(2) A misdemeanor or offense, the penalty for which involves the
possibility of confinement for more than three months or a fine of more
than $500, or any other offense where, in the opinion of the court,
either the complexity of the matter, or the youth, inexperience, or
mental capacity of the accused, may require representation of the
accused by an attorney; and
(3) An act that, except for the age of the person involved, would otherwise
be a serious crime.
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