There are two different Court Appointed Attorney forms. One is for Misdemeanor cases and the other is for Felonies. Be sure that you fill out the proper form or it cannot be processed.

Felony Court Appointed Attorney

You will have an opportunity to fill out a court appointed attorney form at your arraignment if necessary. The court will forward a copy of the form to Oakland County Circuit Court for an attorney to be appointed. You may obtain information concerning your court appointed attorney from Oakland County Circuit Court Administrator's Office between 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday.

Circuit Court Administrator's Office
1200 North Telegraph Road
Pontiac, Michigan 48341
248-858-0345

Misdemeanor Court Appointed Attorney

A request for an attorney appointed through the local criminal indigent system for a misdemeanor case is taken at the arraignment. If you have been previously arraigned, or have a pending court date and you need an appointed attorney, you will need to come into the Court to complete the Appointed Attorney Request form - MC222 as soon as possible. Your request will be reviewed by the judge assigned to your case for approval or denial. If the judge approves the appointment, your attorney will appear in court on the date of the hearing. If the judge denies your request for an appointed attorney, you will be notified by mail or by telephone.

In most cases, the cost to the defendant for a court appointed attorney in a misdemeanor case from pre-trial to sentence is $150, unless otherwise determined by the judge. The cost to the defendant for a court appointed attorney at a probation violation hearing is $50.

For more information, please contact the State Court Administrator's Office self-help page: Getting Legal Help.