Court-Appointed "Panel" Attorneys  When there's no public
defender office, or the P.D. can't take the case, the court will
appoint a lawyer who is on the indigent "panel."  Related Ads
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"panel attorney" is a lawyer who signs-up with the court to
handle indigent cases when the public defender's office cannot
represent the client. In some counties, where there is no public
defender office, all indigent defense work is handled by panel
attorneys. Being a panel attorney is a good way to have a steady
stream of work, and payment (from the courts) is reliable.  When
Panel Attorneys Are Appointed  In counties that have public
defender offices, panel attorneys are appointed when a judge
decides that there's a "conflict of interest" that prevents
representation by the P.D. In counties without P.D. offices,
panel attorneys are appointed when the judge determines that the
defendant meets the requi