(A) The office of Public Defender is hereby established.
(B) The Township Public Defender shall represent all indigent defendants in Municipal Court, except in those cases of temporary unavailability or conflict of interest, who have been charged with an offense in Municipal Court and are entitled to representation pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2B:24-1 et seq. All necessary services and facilities of representation, including both expert and lay investigation and testimony, as well as other preparation, shall be provided in every case. The Municipal Public Defender shall be responsible for handling all phases of the defense, including but not limited to discovery, pre-trial and post-trial hearings, motions, removals to federal district court and other collateral functions reasonably related to the defense. As used in this division, POST-TRIAL HEARING shall not include de novo appeals to Superior Court. It shall also be the responsibility of the Township Public Defender to verify eligibility of applicants, verify payment of application fees by the indigent defendants, and to create and use such forms as are necessary to assure the eligibility of such applicants and the payment of their application fees.
(C) The Municipal Public Defender shall receive compensation as established through the Township salary ordinance. The Municipal Public Defender may submit a detailed invoice covering fees and costs expended by him or her for services which may be required beyond attendance at regular Municipal Court sessions, which additional fees and charges shall be paid at the same hourly rate as the hourly rate in effect for the Township Solicitor at that time out of the funds collected pursuant to this subchapter.
(D) The Municipal Public Defender shall appear only at those times and on those dates that his or her services are required in order to represent indigent defendants as determined by the Municipal Court Judge.
('74 Code, § 20-1) (Ord. 694-94, passed 3-14-94; Am. Ord. 876-98, passed 6-8-98)