Our Mission

The Wexford Missaukee Public Defender’s Office is a joint effort between Wexford and Missaukee Counties, created to provide the region’s first dedicated public defense office.
We deliver constitutionally guaranteed representation to individuals charged with a crime who cannot afford an attorney.

Our vision goes beyond the courtroom. We aim to strengthen the criminal justice system by supporting today’s defendants in ways that promote future success — whether they are found guilty or innocent.

We recognize that many people come before a judge because of broader issues such as poverty, trauma, addiction, or lack of support. We are committed to addressing those underlying factors whenever possible, connecting clients with resources and advocating for second chances.

By doing so, we work to reduce repeat offenses, strengthen our communities, and change how society understands crime, justice, and poverty.

Our attorneys and staff are skilled, compassionate, and dedicated to protecting the rights of our clients. We are proud to be part of Michigan’s statewide transformation of public defense — ensuring that everyone, regardless of income, receives fair, effective, and independent representation.

History

The Wexford Missaukee Public Defender’s Office officially opened on October 1, 2018, becoming one of the first offices of its kind in northern Michigan.

For decades, many indigent defendants across the country faced criminal charges without legal counsel simply because they could not afford an attorney. That changed with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), which held that the Constitution requires states to provide lawyers for those who cannot afford them.

Despite that landmark ruling, Michigan long struggled with an underfunded and inconsistent system of public defense. In 2008, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) released a report titled A Race to the Bottom, ranking Michigan 44th out of 50 states in per-capita indigent defense spending. The report criticized Michigan’s approach for valuing speed and cost-cutting over fairness and due process, resulting in unequal quality of representation from county to county.

In response, Governor Rick Snyder created a commission in 2011 to improve legal representation for indigent defendants. This led to the formation of the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC) in 2013.

By May 2017, the MIDC issued its first four minimum standards:

  • Attorney education and training
  • Early client interviews
  • Access to experts and investigators
  • Defense counsel present at the first court appearance and all critical stages

Since opening in 2018, Wexford and Missaukee Counties have proudly embraced these reforms and remain strong partners with the MIDC in advancing a fair, consistent, and constitutional system of public defense for all.

Our Commitment

We are more than defense attorneys — we are advocates for fairness, dignity, and opportunity.
Every person deserves to be heard, to be treated with respect, and to have someone fighting in their corner.
That is — and will always be — the purpose of the Wexford Missaukee Public Defender’s Office.