Connecticut Office of Chief Public Defender New Haven Elm Street Office

The Connecticut Office of Chief Public Defender New Haven Elm Street Office is the primary chief public defender office for the state of Connecticut. While located in the city of New Haven, the office itself sits inside the New Haven County Courthouse. The Chief Public Defender is responsible for planning, implementing, coordinating, directing, and evaluating activities and programs of the Public Defender’s Office. The Chief Public Defender also serves as the special staff advisor on matters relating to public legal defense and representation. Other responsibilities of the Chief Public Defender include: providing guidance to staff regarding technical and legal problems; directing, preparing, and presenting the office’s proposed annual budget and monitoring approved budget expenditures; overall supervision of employees, including evaluating work performance, counseling employees on the programs, policies, and procedures, and resolving complaints and taking disciplinary action when needed. The other primary responsibility of this position is providing legal representation and defense of indigent persons accused of crimes in the state of Connecticut, including juveniles. This includes interviewing defendants and witnesses, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of cases, determining the best defense strategy to pursue, and presenting cases in court. If you have any questions about this organization, please use the contact information on the right-hand side of the page.