The Venango County Office of Public Defender furnishes quality legal counsel to any person who is charged with a qualified criminal offense, and, for lack of funds as determined by office guidelines, is unable to obtain legal counsel.
Eligibility
Eligibility for the Venango County Public Defender services is based on:
Federal poverty guidelines
Household assets and responsibilities
Household income
The nature of the charges
Qualifying Matters
The Public Defender Act authorizes the Office of the Public Defender to provide legal counsel in the following matters:
Criminal extradition proceedings
Critical pretrial identification procedures
Involuntary commitment under the Mental Health Procedures Act
Pennsylvania Supreme Court appeals
Post conviction hearings at the trial and appellate levels
Preliminary hearings
Probation and parole violation hearings
State habeas corpus proceedings
State trials, including pretrial and post-trial motions
Superior Court appeals
Where a person is charged with juvenile delinquency
Any proceeding where personal liberty is in jeopardy