Rule 44. Assignment of Counsel

If a defendant appears in District Court without counsel, the court shall advise the defendant of his or her right to be represented by counsel. If the offense charged is punishable by imprisonment for a term of more than six months or by a fine in excess of $500, the court shall advise the defendant of his or her right to assignment of counsel and shall assign counsel to represent the defendant at every stage of the proceeding unless the defendant is able to obtain his or her own counsel or elects to proceed without counsel.