San Luis Obispo Defenders has been defending the residents of the San Luis Obispo County since 1988. Our job as the Primary Public Defender for the County of San Luis Obispo is to provide legal services for people charged with crimes ranging from the simplest misdemeanor to complex capital cases. To qualify to receive the assistance of a Public Defender, a person must be facing the possibility of a jail sentence for a charge originating in the County of San Luis Obispo. A Public Defender must be appointed to you by a judge. In addition to representing adults in criminal court our firm represents individuals in juvenile court, as well as individuals in conservatorship cases. We do not represent people in traffic court.
Once we are appointed to your case, you gain access to the full resources of San Luis Obispo Defenders, not just an attorney. Our office includes full-time, in-house investigators who work directly on your case, a dedicated team of paralegals who help manage discovery, research and write motions, and case preparation, and a social worker who can connect clients with treatment, housing, and other support services that often matter to case outcomes. In addition, our attorneys have access to a broad network of experts: forensic, medical, mental health, and other specialists, available in every case appointed to our office, ensuring that no client’s defense is limited by lack of resources.
We are a professional law corporation operating under contract with the County of San Luis Obispo. The contract must be approved by the Board of Supervisors.
Steven D. Rice – Managing Attorney
Brian J. Buckley – Managing Attorney
Attorneys:
- Chris Ames
- Leesa Andrade
- Pierre Blahnik
- Heather Buckley
- Kenneth Cirisan
- Linda Currey
- Jeremy Cutcher
- Amanda DeRight
- Tiffany Dix
- Jason Dufurrena
- Rachel Eeles
- Dillon Forsyth
- Hogan Ganschow
- Neal Gerhardt
- Paul Greco
- Matt Janowicz
- Andrew Jennings
- Linden Mackaoui
- Timothy Osman
- Carlie Peterson
- Amy Schroder
Investigators: