BILL NUMBER: AB 259	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Smyth

                        FEBRUARY 7, 2011

   An act to amend Section 27701 of the Government Code, relating to
a county public defender.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 259, as introduced, Smyth. County public defender.
   Existing law authorizes the board of supervisors of a county to
establish the office of public defender for the county. Under
existing law, a person is not eligible to the office of public
defender unless he has been a practicing attorney in the courts of
the state for at least the year preceding the date of his election or
appointment.
   This bill would provide that, in addition to existing law, a
person is eligible to the office of public defender if he or she is a
sitting or retired judge, and as a judge meets specified
qualifications, or if he or she was a judicial commissioner,
magistrate, or referee, or elected public official, and meets
specified qualifications.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 27701 of the Government Code is amended to
read:
   27701.  A person is  not  eligible to the office
of public defender  unless he   if the person
meets one of the following criteria: 
    (a)     He or she  has been a
practicing attorney in all of the courts of the  State
  state  for at least the year preceding the date
of his  or her  election or appointment. 
   (b) He or she was a sitting or retired judge, and as a judge (1)
he or she was a practicing attorney in all of the courts of the state
for at least the year preceding the date of his or her election or
appointment to the judicial office, and (2) on or before the date of
his or her election or appointment to the office of public defender,
he or she resigns his or her judicial office, the current term of his
or her office has expired, and he or she is an active member of the
State Bar.  
   (c) He or she was a judicial commissioner, magistrate, or referee,
or elected public official, and he or she (1) was a practicing
attorney in all of the courts of the state for at least one year
preceding the date of his or her election or appointment to judicial
or elected office, and (2) on or before the date of his or her
election or appointment to the office of public defender, he or she
resigns his or her judicial or elected office and is an active member
of the State Bar.