The Office of Legal Defense of Indigents administers the Schoharie County Assigned Counsel Program. If a person is charged with a crime that could result in imprisonment and cannot afford to hire an attorney, they can apply for the assignment of a criminal lawyer. Additionally, indigent parents, and certain other specified adults, can apply for the appointment of a family law lawyer if they are involved in cases that could result in the loss of a child’s society or the possibility of criminal charges in Family, Supreme or Surrogates Court. The right to counsel guaranteed to every American citizen accused of a crime is embodied in the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution and made applicable to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment. An integral component of the right to counsel is the right to court-appointed counsel for those unable to hire an attorney. People with questions about obtaining an assigned attorney or who need assistance with the application to determine eligibility for assigned counsel, may contact the Schoharie County Office of Legal Defense of Indigents.