Conn. Gen. Stat. » Title 51 — COURTS · Chapter 887 — Public Defender Services
Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 51-291 (2026)

Duties of the Chief Public Defender

✓ current as of May 2026
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The Chief Public Defender shall:

(1) Direct and supervise the work of the Deputy Chief Public Defender and all public defenders, assistant public defenders, deputy assistant public defenders and other personnel appointed pursuant to this chapter; and the Chief Public Defender and the Deputy Chief Public Defender may participate in the trial of criminal actions.

(2) Submit to the commission, prior to December thirty-first of each year, a report which shall include all pertinent data on the operation of the Division of Public Defender Services, the costs, projected needs, and recommendations for statutory changes, including changes in the civil and criminal law, and changes in court rules, which may be appropriate to the improvement of the system of criminal justice, the rehabilitation of offenders, the representation of children and parents or guardians in child protection and family relations matters and other related objectives. Prior to February first of the following year, the commission shall submit the report along with such recommendations, comments, conclusions or other pertinent information it chooses to make, to the Chief Justice, the Governor and the members of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the judiciary. The reports shall be public records, shall be maintained in the office of Chief Public Defender and shall be otherwise distributed as the commission shall direct.

(3) With the approval of the commission, establish such divisions, facilities and offices and select such professional, technical and other personnel, including investigators, as the Chief Public Defender deems reasonably necessary for the efficient operation and discharge of the duties of public defender services under this chapter, subject to the personnel policies and compensation plan established by the commission.

(4) Administer, coordinate and control the operations of public defender services and be responsible for the overall supervision and direction of all personnel, offices, divisions and facilities of the Division of Public Defender Services.

(5) Develop programs and administer activities to achieve the purposes of this chapter.

(6) At the discretion of the Chief Public Defender, consult and cooperate with professional bodies and groups concerning the causes of criminal conduct, means for reducing the commission of crimes, the rehabilitation and correction of those convicted of crimes, and the improvement of the administration and conduct of public defender services.

(7) Keep and maintain proper financial records with respect to the providing of all public defender services for use in the calculating of direct and indirect costs of any or all aspects of the operation of public defender services.

(8) Supervise the training of all public defenders, assistant public defenders, deputy assistant public defenders, Division of Public Defender Services assigned counsel and other personnel and establish such training courses as shall be appropriate.

(9) Promulgate necessary rules, regulations and instructions, consistent with this chapter, defining the organization of his office and the responsibilities of public defenders, assistant public defenders, deputy assistant public defenders and other personnel.

(10) With the approval of the commission, apply for and accept on behalf of the Division of Public Defender Services any funds that may be offered or that may become available from government grants, private gifts, donations or bequests, or from any other source, and with the approval of the commission expend the funds to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

(11) Maintain one or more lists of trial lawyers who may be available to represent persons in habeas corpus proceedings arising from criminal matters, or to represent juveniles in delinquency matters before the court, or to represent parents or guardians and children in child protection and family relations matters pursuant to subsection (c) of section 51-296, or to represent persons in other appropriate matters on a case by case basis, as needed, which lawyers shall be selected by a judge of the court before which the matter is to be heard.

(12) Establish compensation for lawyers selected under subdivision (11) of this section for their services with the approval of the commission, to be paid from the budget of the Public Defender Services Commission.

(13) Prepare and submit to the commission estimates of appropriations necessary for the maintenance and operation of public defender services, and make recommendations with respect thereto; and with the approval of the commission, and after such modification as the commission directs, submit the budget requests to the Governor.

(P.A. 74-317, S. 3, 14; P.A. 75-530, S. 25, 35; P.A. 76-436, S. 576, 681; P.A. 82-248, S. 146; P.A. 06-9, S. 1; P.A. 11-51, S. 2; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2, S. 88.)

History: P.A. 75-530 required maintenance of list of lawyers to represent juveniles in delinquency matters before the juvenile court in Subdiv. (k); P.A. 76-436 added references to deputy assistant public defenders in Subdivs. (a), (h) and (i), effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 82-248 rephrased the section, deleted the provision making the commission an autonomous body within the judicial department and made that provision a part of Sec. 51-289, and replaced the alphabetic Subdiv. indicators with numeric indicators; P.A. 06-9 amended Subdiv. (2) to change deadline for Chief Public Defender to submit report from “between August fifteenth and September fifteenth of each year” to “prior to December thirty-first of each year”, to change deadline for commission to submit report from “Prior to October fifteenth of each year” to “Prior to February first of the following year” and to make technical changes, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 11-51 amended Subdiv. (2) to add provision re representation of children and parents or guardians in child protection and family relations matters, amended Subdiv. (8) to add reference to Division of Public Defender Services assigned counsel, amended Subdiv. (11) to add provision re list of lawyers to represent parents or guardians and children in child protection and family relations matters, and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2011; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2 made a technical change in Subdiv. (2).

Subdiv. (11) allows the court to make discretionary appointment of counsel in a habeas corpus action, but present case concerning conditions of confinement does not rise to the level of requiring such appointment. 49 CS 1.

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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 10 cases, 1984–2020 · leading case: Small v. State, 920 A.2d 1024 (Conn. App. Ct. 2007).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
Small v. State, 920 A.2d 1024 (Conn. App. Ct. 2007). · cites it 5× “Specifically, the petitioner argues that a trial court has the discretion to appoint counsel pursuant to General Statutes §§ 51-291 (11) 1 and 51-293 (a) 2 and that because the court found the petitioner indigent, it should have exercised that discretion to appoint counsel…”
Newland v. Comm'r of Corr., 142 A.3d 1095 (Conn. 2016). · cites it 2× “appropriate matters on a case by case basis, as needed, which lawyers shall be selected by a judge of the court before which the matter is to be heard"). In some cases, the court has appointed a public defender as standby counsel.”
Gaines v. Manson, 481 A.2d 1084 (Conn. 1984). “t a judge of the superior court from appointing a special assistant public defender on a contractual basis for a temporary period of time in an appropriate case, the expenses and compensation of which shall be paid from the budget of the public defender services commission and…”
Small v. State, 558 U.S. 842 (2009). · cites it 2× “The petitioner argued that “a trial court has the discretion to appoint counsel pursuant to General Statutes §§51-291 (11) and 51-293 (a) and that because the court found the petitioner indigent, it should have exercised that discretion to appoint counsel because he has limited…”
State v. Garcia, 658 A.2d 947 (Conn. 1995). “prevent a judge of the superior court from appointing a special assistant public defender on a contractual basis for a temporary period of time in an appropriate case, whose expenses and compensation shall be paid from the budget of the Public Defender Services Commission and in…”
State v. Wang, 92 A.3d 220 (Conn. 2014). · cites it 20× “See General Statutes § 51-289 (h) (‘‘[p]ublic defender services shall be executed by a Chief Public Defender, a deputy chief public defender, public defend- ers, assistant public defenders, deputy assistant public defenders, investigators and other personnel which the commission…”
State v. Peeler (Conn. 2016). · cites it 2× “We do, however, agree with the defendant that, had Mastronardi been willing to accept assigned counsel rates, the trial court could have exercised its discretion to appoint Mastronardi to represent the defendant at his new trial—regardless of whether Mastronardi is on the…”
State v. White, 224 A.3d 855 (Conn. 2020). · cites it 2× “, 253 (dis- cussing General Statutes § 51-291 (11) and noting that ‘‘[t]he statutes governing public defender services require the chief public defender to maintain a list of attorneys who may be appointed as standby counsel for self-represented defendants, as needed’’).”
State v. White, 224 A.3d 855 (Conn. 2020). · cites it 2× “, 253 (discussing General Statutes § 51-291 (11) and noting that ‘‘[t]he statutes governing public defender services require the chief public defender to maintain a list of attorneys who may be appointed as standby counsel for self-represented defendants, as needed’’).”
Vines v. Warden, State Prison, 858 A.2d 915 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2003). · cites it 2× “The chief public defender is statutorily obligated under General Statutes § 51-291 (11) to “[m]aintain one or more lists of trial lawyers who may be available to represent persons in habeas corpus proceedings arising from criminal matters .”
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 51-291(11): 1 case
Newland v. Comm'r of Corr., 142 A.3d 1095 (Conn. 2016). “appropriate matters on a case by case basis, as needed, which lawyers shall be selected by a judge of the court before which the matter is to be heard"). In some cases, the court has appointed a public defender as standby counsel.”
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