Williams v. Superior Court

*324Opinion

GODOY PEREZ, J.

Defendant and petitioner Michael Williams, also known as Michael Antoine Price, challenges an order of the respondent court refusing to appoint the Los Angeles County Public Defender to represent him. We hold that a trial court is required to appoint the public defender to represent an indigent defendant when the public defender is “available,” meaning that the public defender can be ready for trial and in court on the designated trial date. In determining the public defender’s availability, the court may either rely on the public defender’s representation that he or she…