Ohio Rev. Code » Chapter 120
Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Rev. Code § 120.14 (2026)

County public defender commission - powers and duties

✓ current as of May 2026
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Effective:
September 26, 1984
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 271 - 115th General Assembly
PDF:
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(A)(1) Except as provided in division (A)(2) of this section, the county public defender commission shall appoint the county public defender and may remove him from office only for good cause.

(2) If a county public defender commission contracts with the state public defender or with one or more nonprofit organizations for the state public defender or the organizations to provide all of the services that the county public defender is required or permitted to provide by this chapter, the commission shall not appoint a county public defender.

(B) The commission shall determine the qualifications and size of the supporting staff and facilities and other requirements needed to maintain and operate the office of the county public defender.

(C) In administering the office of county public defender, the commission shall:

(1) Recommend to the county commissioners an annual operating budget which is subject to the review, amendment, and approval of the board of county commissioners;

(2)(a) Make an annual report to the county commissioners and the Ohio public defender commission on the operation of the county public defender's office, including complete and detailed information on finances and costs that separately states costs and expenses that are reimbursable under section 120.35 of the Revised Code, and any other data and information requested by the state public defender;

(b) Make monthly reports relating to reimbursement and associated case data pursuant to the rules of the Ohio public defender commission to the board of county commissioners and the Ohio public defender commission on the total costs of the public defender's office.

(3) Cooperate with the Ohio public defender commission in maintaining the standards established by rules of the Ohio public defender commission pursuant to divisions (B) and (C) of section 120.03 of the Revised Code, and cooperate with the state public defender in his programs providing technical aid and assistance to county systems.

(D) The commission may accept the services of volunteer workers and consultants at no compensation except reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses.

(E) The commission may contract with any municipal corporation, within the county served by the county public defender, for the county public defender to provide legal representation for indigent persons who are charged with a violation of the ordinances of the municipal corporation.

(F) A county public defender commission, with the approval of the board of county commissioners regarding all provisions that pertain to the financing of defense counsel for indigent persons, may contract with the state public defender or with any nonprofit organization, the primary purpose of which is to provide legal representation to indigent persons, for the state public defender or the organization to provide all or any part of the services that a county public defender is required or permitted to provide by this chapter. A contract entered into pursuant to this division may provide for payment for the services provided on a per case, hourly, or fixed contract basis. The state public defender and any nonprofit organization that contracts with a county public defender commission pursuant to this division shall do all of the following:

(1) Comply with all standards established by the rules of the Ohio public defender commission;

(2) Comply with all standards established by the state public defender;

(3) Comply with all statutory duties and other laws applicable to county public defenders.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 10 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1998–2022 · leading case: State ex rel. Altman-Bates v. Pub. Emps. Ret. Bd. (Slip Opinion), 2016 Ohio 3100 (Ohio 2016).
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State ex rel. Altman-Bates v. Pub. Emps. Ret. Bd. (Slip Opinion), 2016 Ohio 3100 (Ohio 2016). · cites it 30× “Chapter 120, including within R.C. 120.14. The new provision, R.C. 120.”
State ex rel. Mallory v. Pub. Employees Ret. Bd., 82 Ohio St. 3d 235 (Ohio 1998). · cites it 12× “I would find that the 1984 enactment of section (F) to R.C. 120.14 merely reaffirmed that the FCPDO can contract with private organizations under the authority previously established by R.”
State ex rel. Mallory v. Pub. Emp. Ret. Bd., 1998 Ohio 380 (Ohio 1998). · cites it 16× “Pursuant to R.C. 120.14, the commission appointed the Franklin County Public Defender.”
State Ex Rel. Davis v. Pub. Employees Ret. Bd., 881 N.E.2d 294 (Ohio Ct. App. 2007). · cites it 7× “In accordance with R.C. 120.14, FCPDC appointed the Franklin County Public Defender, who, in turn, hired attorneys and support personnel to form the Franklin County Public Defender’s Office (“FCPDO”).”
State ex rel. Bates v. Pub. Emps. Ret. Bd., 2014 Ohio 1183 (Ohio Ct. App. 2014). · cites it 22× “Pursuant to R.C. 120.14, the FCPDC appointed attorney James Kura as the Franklin County Public Defender, and Kura hired attorneys and support personnel to form the Franklin County Public Defender's Office ("the FCPDO").”
State ex rel. Davis v. Pub. Employees Ret. Bd., 855 N.E.2d 444 (Ohio 2006). · cites it 2× “{¶ 4} In 1984, the General Assembly enacted R.C. 120.14(F), which authorized county and joint-county public-defender commissions to contract with nonprofit organizations to provide representation to indigent criminal defendants.”
State ex rel. Davis v. Pub. Employees Ret. Bd., 899 N.E.2d 975 (Ohio 2008). · cites it 2× “{¶ 4} In 1984, the General Assembly enacted R.C. 120.14(F), which authorized county and joint-county public-defender commissions to contract with nonprofit organizations to provide representation to indigent criminal defendants.”
State ex rel. Van Dyke v. Pub. Employees Ret. Bd., 99 Ohio St. 3d 430 (Ohio 2003). · cites it 2× “{¶ 4} In 1984, the General Assembly enacted R.C. 120.14(F), which authorized county and joint-county public defender commissions to contract with nonprofit organizations to provide representation to indigent criminal defendants.”
State ex rel. Tarrier v. Pub. Emps. Ret. Bd., 2020 Ohio 681 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). · cites it 5× “01(A)(2) entitled Mallory to continue her PERS membership after the incorporation of the FCPDO Non-profit following the 1984 amendments to R.C. 120.14. Id. at ¶ 12, citing Mallory at 245 .”
State ex rel. McKenney v. Jones (Slip Opinion), 2022 Ohio 583 (Ohio 2022). · cites it 3× “R.C. 120.14(F). {¶ 6} In 1977, Summit County created a county public-defender commission.”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 120.14(A) — 1 case
State ex rel. Altman-Bates v. Pub. Emps. Ret. Bd. (Slip Opinion), 2016 Ohio 3100 (Ohio 2016). “Chapter 120, including within R.C. 120.14. The new provision, R.C. 120.”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 120.14(A)(1) — 2 cases
State ex rel. Altman-Bates v. Pub. Emps. Ret. Bd. (Slip Opinion), 2016 Ohio 3100 (Ohio 2016). “Chapter 120, including within R.C. 120.14. The new provision, R.C. 120.”
State ex rel. Tarrier v. Pub. Emps. Ret. Bd., 2020 Ohio 681 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). “01(A)(2) entitled Mallory to continue her PERS membership after the incorporation of the FCPDO Non-profit following the 1984 amendments to R.C. 120.14. Id. at ¶ 12, citing Mallory at 245 .”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 120.14(A)(2) — 2 cases
State ex rel. Altman-Bates v. Pub. Emps. Ret. Bd. (Slip Opinion), 2016 Ohio 3100 (Ohio 2016). “Chapter 120, including within R.C. 120.14. The new provision, R.C. 120.”
State ex rel. Bates v. Pub. Emps. Ret. Bd., 2014 Ohio 1183 (Ohio Ct. App. 2014). “Pursuant to R.C. 120.14, the FCPDC appointed attorney James Kura as the Franklin County Public Defender, and Kura hired attorneys and support personnel to form the Franklin County Public Defender's Office ("the FCPDO").”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 120.14(B) — 2 cases
State ex rel. Mallory v. Pub. Employees Ret. Bd., 82 Ohio St. 3d 235 (Ohio 1998). “I would find that the 1984 enactment of section (F) to R.C. 120.14 merely reaffirmed that the FCPDO can contract with private organizations under the authority previously established by R.”
State ex rel. Mallory v. Pub. Emp. Ret. Bd., 1998 Ohio 380 (Ohio 1998). “Pursuant to R.C. 120.14, the commission appointed the Franklin County Public Defender.”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 120.14(C) — 2 cases
State ex rel. Mallory v. Pub. Employees Ret. Bd., 82 Ohio St. 3d 235 (Ohio 1998). “I would find that the 1984 enactment of section (F) to R.C. 120.14 merely reaffirmed that the FCPDO can contract with private organizations under the authority previously established by R.”
State ex rel. Mallory v. Pub. Emp. Ret. Bd., 1998 Ohio 380 (Ohio 1998). “Pursuant to R.C. 120.14, the commission appointed the Franklin County Public Defender.”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 120.14(C)(3) — 2 cases
State ex rel. Mallory v. Pub. Employees Ret. Bd., 82 Ohio St. 3d 235 (Ohio 1998). “I would find that the 1984 enactment of section (F) to R.C. 120.14 merely reaffirmed that the FCPDO can contract with private organizations under the authority previously established by R.”
State ex rel. Mallory v. Pub. Emp. Ret. Bd., 1998 Ohio 380 (Ohio 1998). “Pursuant to R.C. 120.14, the commission appointed the Franklin County Public Defender.”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 120.14(F) — 10 cases
State ex rel. Altman-Bates v. Pub. Emps. Ret. Bd. (Slip Opinion), 2016 Ohio 3100 (Ohio 2016). “Chapter 120, including within R.C. 120.14. The new provision, R.C. 120.”
State ex rel. Mallory v. Pub. Employees Ret. Bd., 82 Ohio St. 3d 235 (Ohio 1998). “I would find that the 1984 enactment of section (F) to R.C. 120.14 merely reaffirmed that the FCPDO can contract with private organizations under the authority previously established by R.”
State ex rel. Mallory v. Pub. Emp. Ret. Bd., 1998 Ohio 380 (Ohio 1998). “Pursuant to R.C. 120.14, the commission appointed the Franklin County Public Defender.”
State ex rel. Davis v. Pub. Employees Ret. Bd., 855 N.E.2d 444 (Ohio 2006). “{¶ 4} In 1984, the General Assembly enacted R.C. 120.14(F), which authorized county and joint-county public-defender commissions to contract with nonprofit organizations to provide representation to indigent criminal defendants.”
State Ex Rel. Davis v. Pub. Employees Ret. Bd., 881 N.E.2d 294 (Ohio Ct. App. 2007). “In accordance with R.C. 120.14, FCPDC appointed the Franklin County Public Defender, who, in turn, hired attorneys and support personnel to form the Franklin County Public Defender’s Office (“FCPDO”).”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 120.14(F)(3) — 1 case
State ex rel. McKenney v. Jones (Slip Opinion), 2022 Ohio 583 (Ohio 2022). “R.C. 120.14(F). {¶ 6} In 1977, Summit County created a county public-defender commission.”
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