LATEST NEWS

  • The first Latino top attorney in his Office, LA County Public Defender Ricardo García has won the Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s (APABA) Trailblazer-in-the-Law Award.

  • For the first time in the LA County Public Defender’s Office, two paralegals have been commended by the State Senate for their “exemplary record of contribution to the people of California.”

  • High on methamphetamines, the man in his 50s exchanged heated words with his neighbors, then drove his car toward the couple.

Changing Lives

Need a better job, benefits or housing? Is your past harming your future? The Public Defender offers many free, record-clearing clinics each month.

The cannabis law, Prop. 64

Prop. 64 allows anyone to apply to have their past marijuana-related offenses reduced or expunged. Roughly 200,000 LA County residents are eligible.

  • "There’s something in my DNA that I just felt that fighting for the underdog was my destiny."

    —Supervising paralegal Eric Johnson upon his retirement after 25 years.

  • "You guys saved my life!"

    —A client at a LA County Public Defender one-stop Job and Legal Fair in Compton.

  • "Today, I finally got to meet the lawyers who were able to help me go in the right direction."

    — A client at the LA County Public Defender’s first mobile homeless outreach event held at the LA Mission in Skid Row.

  • "Compassion is the main thing I want them to learn. I want them to realize there’s a duty to help other people not as fortunate."

    —Former LA County Deputy Public Defender Robert Johnson

  • "My goal is to be one of those attorneys who just wants to give back to the community, to be a voice for the people who are otherwise ignored and overlooked."

    —LA County Black Public Defenders’ Association Scholarship winner Tiara Simmons

  • “We have a core mission, we all know it. To be zealous advocates. To treat our clients with dignity. To do our work with integrity. It’s more than just our mission, it’s a human mission.”

    —LA County Public Defender Ricardo García

  • “I think we made a difference today.”

    —LA County Deputy Public Defender Judith Johnson at the Public Defender’s first mobile homeless outreach event held at the LA Mission in Skid Row.

  • "I believe that the commitment of every man and woman in this room right now is aligned with the reality that we can change this for the better. And we will."

    —Author Shaka Senghor speaking of juvenile justice at the 36th Annual Juvenile Delinquency Law Training Seminar organized by the LA County Public Defender’s Office.

  • "Happy Social Work Month, I wish it could be all year. I am proud of you. You guys do so much tremendous work."

    LA County Assistant Public Defender Winston Peters to social workers during Social Work Month.

  • "LA County Public Defenders work tirelessly and often without public praise or understanding of the difficult job of being the foot soldiers of the Constitution."

    —Retired LA County Public Defender Ronald Brown

  • “Our job is to show our clients’ humanity.”

    — Deputy Public Defender Irene Nuñez

  • "We at the Public Defender want to see our clients be given an opportunity to gain employment, shelter and food for their families."

    —LA County Public Defender supervising legal office support assistant Bridgette Bates

  • "This is going to change my life for the better."

    —A client at a LA County Public Defender record-clearing event in Huntington Park.

  • "It’s a great opportunity for us to show people that we are committed to our mission and we are here for them."

    —LA County Assistant Public Defender Candis Glover on participating in the 26th Annual Empowerment Congress Summit at USC.

  • “I hope that my daughter learns that being a successful person is not about how much money you make or where your degree was obtained. Rather, it’s about the impact you have on the world."

    —LA County Deputy Public Defender Elizabeth Lashley-Haynes

  • "Youth perceive custody very differently and do not fully understand the criminal justice system and the consequences of waiving Miranda rights."

    —LA County Deputy Public Defender Rourke Stacy who helped develop and draft SB 395.

  • "Public Defenders really are the most empathetic, passionate, understanding lawyers I’ve met. Here, no one does this for money or prestige, you do it because you believe in it and want to help people."

    —LA County Deputy Public Defender Jimmy Chu

  • "We are committed to creating and maintaining a partnership with the community."

    —LA County Deputy Public Defender Tiffiny Blacknell during a community engagement event in Inglewood.

Click here for photo credits

For inquiries, call:  (213) 974-2811

The materials available on this website are informational only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. Use of and access to this website or any of the email links contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship between the Los Angeles County Public Defender and the user or browser. The opinions expressed on this site are of the individual author and may not reflect the opinions of the department or any individual attorney.