Marie Lane
Ashtabula County Public Defender Office
4817 State Road, Suite 202
Ashtabula, Ohio 44004
Term: Contract Services
Ph: (440) 998-2628
Fax: (440) 998-2972
Auglaize
Gerald F. Siesel
Auglaize County Public Defender Office
15 Willipie Street, Suite 220
P.O. Box 180
Wapakoneta, Ohio 45895
Term: Appointed February 1, 2010 for a four year term.
Ph: (419) 739-6796
Fax: (419) 739-6797
Carroll
John Gartrell
Carroll County Public Defender
P.O. Box 507
Dover, Ohio 44622
Term: Appointed February 1, 2007 for a four year term.
Ph: (330) 364-5595
Fax: (330) 364-2423
Columbiana*
Frederic E. Naragon
Columbiana County Criminal Defense Co.
P.O. Box 61
Salem, Ohio 44460
Term: Contract Services
Ph: (330) 337-9578
Fax: (330) 337-1223
Cuyahoga
Robert L. Tobik
Cuyahoga County Public Defender Office
310 Lakeside Avenue, Suite 400
Cleveland, Ohio 44113-1021
Term: Re-appointed May 13, 2006 for a four year term.
Ph: (216) 443-7223
Fax: (216) 443-3632
Erie
Jeffrey J. Whitacre
Erie County Public Defender Office
220 Columbus Ave.
Sandusky, Ohio 44870
Term: Re-appointed July 3, 2006 for a four year term.
Ph: (419) 627-6620
Fax: (419) 627-6633
Geauga
R. Robert Umholtz
Geauga County Public Defender Office
211 Main Street
Chardon, Ohio 44024
Term: Re-appointed December 1, 2007 for a four year term.
Ph: (440) 279-1890
Fax: (440) 286-4136
Hancock
Michael Galose
Hancock County Public Defender Office
100 E. Main Cross, Suite 200
Findlay, Ohio 45840
Term: Re-appointed January 1, 2008 for a two year term.
Ph: (419) 424-7276
Fax: (419) 424-7274
Huron
George C. Ford
Huron County Public Defender Office
16 E. Main St., 2nd Floor
Norwalk, Ohio 44857
Term: Re-appointed July 1, 2009 for a two year term.
Ph: (419) 668-3702
Fax: (419) 668-3703
(call first)
Lake
R. Paul LaPlante
Lake County Public Defender Office
125 East Erie Street, Suite 50
Painesville, Ohio 44077
Term: Re-appointed October 1, 2009 for a four year term.
Ph: (440) 350-3200
Fax: (440) 350-5715 or (440) 918-5715
Lucas*
Henry B. Herschel
Toledo Legal Aid Society-Defender Division
555 North Erie Street, Suite 248
Toledo, Ohio 43624
Term: Contract Services
Ph: (419) 244-8351
Fax: (419) 244-4833
Medina
Jocelyn Stefancin
Medina County Public Defender Office
120 West Washington Street, Suite 2D
Medina, Ohio 44256
Term: Appointed 2015 for a four year term
Ph: (330) 764-8437
Brunswick Office: (330) 225-7100
Wadsworth Office: (330) 336-6657
Fax: (330) 764-8440
Portage
Dennis D. Lager
Portage County Public Defender Office
209 South Chestnut, St., Suite 400
Ravenna, Ohio 44266
Term: Re-appointed August 7, 2009 for a four year term.
Ph: (330) 297-3665
Fax: (330) 298-2064
Stark
Tammi R. Johnson
Stark County Public Defender Office
200 W. Tuscarawas Street, Suite 200
Canton, Ohio 44702
Term: Re-appointed July 1, 2009 for a four year term.
Ph: (330) 451-7200
Fax: (330) 451-7227
Summit*
Joseph S. Kodish
Legal Defender Office of
Summit County, Ohio Inc.
One Cascade Plaza, Suite 1940
Akron, Ohio 44308
Term: Contract Services
Ph: (330) 434-3461
Fax: (330) 434-3371
Trumbull
Matthew Pentz
Office of the Ohio Public Defender
Trumbull County Branch Office
328 Mahoning Avenue
Warren, Ohio 44483
Ph: (330) 393-7727
Fax: (330) 393-7076
Tuscarawas
Gerald A. Latanich
Tuscarawas County Public Defender Office
153 North Broadway
New Philadelphia, Ohio 44663
Term: Re-appointed December 31, 2008 for a two year term.
Ph: (330) 364-3523
Fax: (330) 364-7616
Van Wert*
Kelly Rauch
Van Wert County Public Defender Office
124 East Main Street
Van Wert, Ohio 45891
Term: Contract Services
Ph: (419) 238-5064
Fax: (419) 238-4705
Wayne
Beverly J. Wire
Wayne County Public Defender Program
113 West Liberty Street
Wooster, Ohio 44691
Term: Re-appointed January 12, 2011 for a four year term.
Ph: (330) 287-5490
Fax: (330) 287-5479
Wood
Kathleen M. Hamm
Wood County Public Defender Office
123 North Summit Street
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
Term: Re-appointed October 16, 2006 for a four year term.
Ph: (419) 354-9244
Fax: (419) 353-9865
The following counties do not have a public defender office and use court-appointed counsel only:
Allen, Ashland, Crawford, Defiance, Fulton, Hardin, Henry, Holmes, Lorain, Mahoning, Marion, Mercer, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Williams, and Wyandot
* Denotes counties using non-profit corporations for some or all public defender services.
** Denotes counties using non-profit corporations for Guardian Ad Litem services only.