The Orange County Public Defender's Office in Chelsea, Vermont, has various support staff, including public defenders, investigators, secretaries, case managers, etc., who provide a fully competent, effective, and ethical defense to each client whose cause has been entrusted to the office for representation. Public Defenders have a moral 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 Vermont 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. The privilege of offering representation to those in need is why the law has offered public defense services. If the court has assigned a public defender to your case in Orange County, please contact the office head for further assistance.