Jo Daviess County, IL Public Defender’s Office

The Jo Daviess County Public Defender's Office, located in Galena, Illinois, is responsible for defending indigent clients or clients who are financially unable to pay for a private attorney. The office represents their clients charged with felonies and misdemeanors. The Public Defender also represents individuals in the juvenile and mental health courts. With two Public Defenders, Staff Attorneys and other support staff, this office is responsible for representing those individuals who have been accused of a crime that carries the potential for jail or prison time and cannot afford to hire a private counsel. Public Defenders have an ethical responsibility to work for the best possible resolution of the case for the client. All dealings between a court-appointed attorney and the client are confidential. Attorneys who provide public defense representation are not only subject to the Illinois State Bar's ethical requirements that govern all lawyers but must also meet qualification standards that have been established for public defense representation.