The Office of Public Defender for the Municipal
Court of the Borough of Highland Park is hereby established pursuant
to N.J.S.A. 2B:12-28. Said office shall be subject to the administrative
supervision of the Municipal Court Judge.
The Public Defender shall be appointed by the
Mayor with the advice and consent of the Borough Council to serve
for a term of one year commencing January 1 of each year and until
a successor shall have been appointed and qualified. Any vacancy in
said office shall be filled for the balance of the unexpired term.
The Public Defender shall be a licensed Attorney-at-Law
of the State of New Jersey and shall possess such other qualifications
as may be required by law.
The Public Defender shall represent such indigent
defendants in the Municipal Court as shall be designated by the Court
and shall perform such other duties as may be required by law.
Any person applying for representation by the
Public Defender must file an application upon a form provided by the
Borough and pay an application fee not to exceed $200 but only in
an amount necessary to pay the costs of Municipal Public Defender
services; provided, however, the Municipal Court may waive the application
fee, in whole or in part, if it is determined by the Court, in its
discretion, that imposition of the application fee would impose an
unreasonable financial burden on the person seeking representation.