State ex rel. White v. Trent

McGRAW, Justice:

This case is before us as a certified question from the Circuit Court of Marshall County. The lower court asks:

Whether an inmate seeking relief as to his conditions of confinement, such as medical care or inmate classification or reinstatement as an inmate employee, is entitled to a public defender, when all other eligibility conditions have been met.

The circuit court answered this question in the affirmative. We do not agree, and answer that, an inmate seeking relief with respect to conditions of confinement is not entitled to representation by the public defender, as defined…