Alameda County, CA Public Defender’s East County Branch Office

The East County Branch Office of the Alameda County Public Defender's responsibility is to provide vigorous legal representation to all persons who have been accused of criminal misconduct but are currently unable to afford to hire private defense counsel. If you are in custody, usually within two court days of your arrest you will be brought to a local court for your arraignment. At this court date, tell the judge that you want a public defender to represent you. The office’s practice consists predominantly of criminal defense litigation. They defend adults and juveniles charged with crimes ranging from petty-theft to capital murders. The office also defends individuals subject to involuntary psychiatric, civil commitments and conservatorships. The Alameda County Public Defender's Office offers social workers as part of its commitment to building a holistic defense practice. The program currently works with clients charged with felonies and seeks to make strong referrals to community-based social service agencies, ensure that clients' needs for treatment are adequately addressed, provide expertise to help judges and attorneys understand clients' circumstances and life stories, contribute to early release from jail by providing alternatives to incarceration, strengthen legal outcomes. If you have been charged with a crime and cannot afford an attorney, you will be assigned an attorney from the public defender’s office.