State of Hawai’i Office of the Public Defender’s Hilo Office

The State of Hawai'i Office of the Public Defender's Hilo Office is a branch office located in Hilo, Hawai'i. The primary function of the Office of the Public Defender is to provide the assistance of effective counsel in all criminal and related proceedings. As per Hawai'i law, any indigent person who is arrested for, charged with or convicted of an offense or offenses punishable by confinement in jail or prison or for which such person may be or is subject to the provisions of Chapter 571; or threatened by confinement, against the indigent person’s will, in any psychiatric or other mental institution or facility; or the subject of a petition for involuntary outpatient treatment under Chapter 334 shall be entitled to be represented by a public defender. The Office of the Public Defender is the largest criminal defense organization in the State of Hawai`i. There is a defender council that serves as the governing body of the Office of the Public Defender. One of the primary duties of the council is the appointment of the State Public Defender. For more information on the services of Office of the Public Defender's Hilo Office, please contact them directly.