There is hereby established in the Executive Branch of the State Government the Office of the Public Defender. For the purpose of complying with the provisions of Article V, Section IV, paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution, the Office of the Public Defender is hereby allocated within the Department of the Treasury, but, notwithstanding said allocation, the office shall be independent of any supervision or control by the department or by any board or officer thereof.
N.J.S. § 2A:158A-3