I was arrested. Now what?
Generally speaking, you will be taken to Wood County Magistrate Court. You will then enter a plea of “not guilty” and bond will be set. If you cannot make bond, you will be sent to North Central Regional Jail. You will also be asked at that time if you want to hire an attorney or if you want to have an attorney appointed for you.
How do I get a public defender?
If you are requesting court appointed counsel, you will complete an “Affidavit” to see if you are eligible for court appointed counsel. If your income and assets are below a certain level, you may qualify for court appointed counsel and your affidavit will be sent to the Fourth Circuit Public Defender’s Office. Once we receive the Affidavit, an attorney from our office is assigned to your case. An Affidavit is available for downloading by clicking this link. Affidavit
What happens after a public defender is appointed to represent me?
This depends on what kind of charge or case you have.
You need to do two things:
1. Contact the Fourth Circuit Public Defender Office to see who your attorney is.
2. Most importantly, if your address or phone number changes while your case is going on, CONTACT THE OFFICE TO LET US KNOW.