The Public Defender may find that it has a conflict of interest in representing you. The most common reason for a conflict happens when you are accused of a crime along with other people and the Public Defender represents one of them. If this happens, the Public Defender can only represent one person who was charged. When this happens, the court will appoint you a lawyer from the Office of Alternate Defense Counsel (ADC). ADC contracts with private lawyers to provide court-appointed counsel.
Even if there is a conflict of interest, you still need to apply for court-appointed counsel through the Public Defender’s office. That office will advise the court of the conflict and the need to appoint an ADC lawyer.
If you are in custody, you automatically qualify for court-appointed counsel, and the Public Defender will alert the court of the need for the appointment of ADC counsel.