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State Of Michigan Washtenaw County Office of Public Defender
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Welcome to our Website!
The Washtenaw County Office of Public
Defender was established in 1971 by our Board of
Commissioners with the aid of a federal grant requiring that
the department be an integral part of the executive branch
of county government and independent of the judiciary. Since
that time, the Office has become a full and equal partner in
the public safety and justice system within the county and
is represented in all relevant programming, policy or
procedural committees. It handles all criminal, juvenile and
special civil law appointments and provides a wide array of
services related to probation violations, line-ups, personal
protection orders, extraditions, Friend of the Court
matters, bond reduction hearings, diversions and response to
legal questions from the public.
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Lloyd E. Powell
Washtenaw County Public
Defender
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The Office partners with businesses, non-profits,
schools, churches and other units of government to prevent crime
and enhance public safety by rendering top quality legal
representation as needed to enforce constitutionally mandated
public defense competently, effectively, efficiently, ethically
and vigorously in all criminal, juvenile and civil law
appointments in order to achieve justice where rights are
protected, due process is received fairly and equally,
rehabilitation is effective, recidivism is reduced and re-entry
into society as law-abiding and productive residents is
realized.
The outcome sought for everyone is to have a safe and just
society where in addition to the prevention of racial profiling,
domestic violence and the neglect or abuse of children,
there are also viable resources available to ensure
that those in need receive appropriate mental health treatment,
diversion from incarceration without any compromise to safety,
locally based substance abuse treatment and services,
educational and training opportunities for gainful employment,
and adequate housing within a community that has put an end to
homelessness.
Our Office is comprised of dedicated career attorneys who
operate as well trained, experienced and coordinated teams with
full parity in salaries with prosecutors; and one that meets the
American Bar Association’s 10 Principles of a Public Defense
System at any given time while being augmented with an average
of 55 – 60 select, volunteer, student lawyers and investigators
from law schools and universities throughout the country.
In addition to reducing the cost of doing business
while providing top quality service, our Office forever seeks to
improve the justice system whereby the double tragedy never
occurs in our jurisdiction of having an innocent person
convicted and punished while the guilty person escapes penalty
altogether and remains free to continue to abuse, harm and
endanger the community.
Thanks again for the visit to our website and please
view the remainder of it to check out our staff pictures and
learn more about us. And, finally, do feel free to contact us
whenever you need help because we are here to serve
you.
Lloyd E. Powell
County Public Defender
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Articles about the Office of Public Defender
Article: Public Defender
Impact on Exceptionally Low Jail and Prison
Commitments
Symposium Issue:
Therapeutic Jurisprudence in Clinical Legal Education and Legal
Skills Training
Article: Public Defenders Get Better Marks on
Salary
Article: Preliminary
Examination Process Point-Counterpoint
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110 North Fourth Ave
Fourth Floor
P.O. Box 8645
Ann Arbor, MI
48107-8645
Phone: 734-222-6970
Fax: 734-222-6985
Juvenile Office:
734-973-1159
Monday-Friday:
8:30AM-5:00PM
Saturday: closed
Sunday: closed
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