 |
|---|
| Tucson Metropolitan Area |
Welcome to the Web Site of the Pima County Public Defender |
The Pima County Public Defender provides legal defense services to indigents charged with felony and juvenile offenses in Pima County. We commit ourselves to the goal of ensuring equal justice through quality legal representation, and we employ an accomplished team of professionals to achieve this end: Attorneys, Legal Secretaries, Paralegals, Investigators, Office Staff, Law Clerks, and Specialized Interns. Our qualified attorneys fight to uphold the constitutional protections the law affords to those accused of crimes, and we dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of "liberty and justice for all."
Mission Statement
To provide highly skilled and vigorous representation of indigent persons charged with crimes in Pima County, by tirelessly defending and seeking to expand the constitutional rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Arizona State Constitution, regardless of the income or background of the accused.
History
The Pima County Public Defender's Office was established in 1970 and began with a handful of lawyers and a few support staff. The office now employs 75 lawyers and 75 support staff as investigators, social workers, legal secretaries, legal assistants, and clerical assistants. The lawyers in our law office have substantial training and experience specializing exclusively in criminal defense.
The Pima County Public Defender handles cases ranging in seriousness from minor felonies such as drug possession to capital homicide cases where the state is seeking the death penalty.
The Pima County Public Defender represents indigent individuals upon appointment by the Courts in felony cases, juvenile delinquency matters, appeals, and extradition hearings under the jurisdiction of either the Pima County Superior Court, Juvenile Court, or Arizona Appellate Courts.
Criminal offenses which occur within the boundaries of Pima County may also be assigned to either the Pima County Legal Defender's Office or to the Office of Court Appointed Counsel. Criminal offenses of a misdemeanor nature occurring within the boundaries of the City of Tucson are handled through the City of Tucson Public Defender's Office with the exception of those misdemeanors that are directly related to a felony offense.