Public Defender's Office

During the tour of the Public Defender’s Office jurors found the office to be very organized. Each Deputy Public Defender had their own office with many case files either ready for court or in preparation for future court appearances. High morale and enthusiasm in the office was apparent. Each deputy was eager to discuss the particular type of cases they handled while maintaining a high degree of confidentiality for their clients. Several of the grand jurors noted the deputies made persuasive arguments relative to the particular cases the deputies handled. In the relatively short time with the Public Defender and deputies, several jurors either changed their views or accepted that legal arguments were not as black or white as they originally thought. All jurors felt the visits and interviews were highly informative and educational.

One member of the support staff spoke fluent Spanish which the Deputy Public Defenders found to be helpful with some of their clients. This member aspires to become court approved and recognized to legally interpret Spanish in a court of law.