Section 151.010 - Public defender services by county(1) The governing body of a county, on behalf of the county, may contract with an attorney, group of attorneys or full-time not-for-profit public defender organization for the provision by the attorney, group of attorneys or organization of services as counsel for financially eligible persons in proceedings in which a court or magistrate has the power to appoint counsel to represent a financially eligible person and the county is required to pay compensation for that representation.(2) A court or magistrate may appoint an attorney who is, or an attorney member of a public defender organization that is, under a contract with a county as provided in this section to represent a financially eligible person in any proceeding in which the court or magistrate has the power to appoint counsel to represent a financially eligible person and the county is required to pay compensation for that representation. 1971 c.432 §1; 1973 c.836 §311; 1985 c.502 §11; 2001 c.962 §32