Dakota County, NE Public Defender’s Office

The Dakota County Public Defender, located in Dakota City, Nebraska, represents defendants who cannot afford an attorney. The Public Defender fulfills the Constitutional guarantee of the right to have an attorney. In Dakota County, the Public Defender's Office provides legal representation to individuals facing incarceration without the financial means to hire their own lawyer. With one Public Defender and other supporting staff, the office has an ethical responsibility to work for the best possible resolution of the case for the client. All dealings between a court-appointed attorney and the client are confidential. Attorneys who provide public defense representation are not only subject to the Nebraska State Bar’s ethical requirements that govern all lawyers but must also meet qualification standards that have been established for public defense representation. The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the rights of criminal defendants, including the right to a public trial without unnecessary delay and the right to a lawyer. Individuals should contact the Public Defender as soon as possible after the Courts have approved the appointment to the Dakota County office.