The Minnesota Board of Public Defense office is located in Minneapolis, MN. The board is made up of seven members, with three members appointed by the Governor and four members (attorneys) appointed by the Supreme Court. The Public Defense Board is a Judicial Branch agency whose mission/purpose is to provide quality criminal defense services to indigent defendants in Minnesota through an independent, reliable and efficient public defender system. The office also offers indigent clients excellent criminal and juvenile legal defense services through an independent, responsible, and efficient public defender system. The board is also committed to maintaining vertical representation. Repeated contact between the client, the public defender, and the public defender’s staff, encourages the development of trust, a necessary ingredient to the successful litigation of a case. At present, 560 attorneys provide public defender services on the trial and appellate levels. They are supported by 180 dedicated professionals, including investigators, paralegals, dispositional advisors, and legal secretaries/assistants. The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the rights of criminal defendants, including the right to a public trial without unnecessary delay and the right to a lawyer. The privilege of offering representation to those in need is why the law has offered public defense services. Kindly contact the Minnesota Board of Public Defense Hennepin office if you require further information.