About

Our Office

Established in 2011, the Harris County Public Defender's Office (PDO) is now known as one of the best public defenders’ offices in the country.

  • The most recent large-scale study on our office found that PDO clients are actually more likely to win their cases, with 37% of our felony clients going home with no punishment and no conviction.
  • Our lawyers have caseload limits to make sure they will have time for each client.
  • Since the beginning, the Harris County government has guaranteed to provide us the resources needed to fully investigate and defend each case and to pay Public Defenders the same fair salaries as the prosecutors.
  • Our client-centered model of defense seeks to not only achieve the best case outcomes, but also to help each client by addressing underlying problems that can push people into the criminal system.

Defense Centered On

Each Person’s Story

We serve our clients holistically by vigorously advocating for them in court, listening to their needs, and valuing their opinions. We treat our clients with dignity, respect, and compassion. As defenders, we show concern about their plight as persons accused of crimes and act upon that concern to the client's advantage. Our client-centered representation is built on comprehensive case preparation, zealous advocacy, consistent communication, and anticipating clients' needs.

We exhibit professionalism in our advocacy when appearing in court and communicating with judges and court staff. We respond promptly to court orders and requests, appear timely for court appearances, file meritorious pleadings, and anticipate the needs of the court.

We foster a unified and supportive work environment where we work together to protect the rights of our clients. We will inspire and motivate one another. We offer to assist our colleagues proactively and seek help when needed. At all times, we work as a team to ensure our clients receive holistic and client-centered representation.

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We serve the community by working directly with the public and community organizations to achieve shared goals. We accomplish this through hosting community events, answering questions about our work while respecting client confidentiality, and connecting community members with appropriate resources. We partner with the community to increase collaborative efforts to improve indigent representation.

We strive to advance systemic reform that positively affects our clients and the community. We advocate as a voice in discussions on systemic policy development and decision-making to benefit indigent clients.

Our work is guided by

four key values.

Access

Seamless access to legal and non-legal services that meet client needs

Communication

Dynamic, interdisciplinary communication

Expertise

Advocates with an interdisciplinary skill set

Community

A robust understanding of, and connection to, the community served

Our Team

Meet Your Public Defenders

Staff Directory

Leadership

Alex Bunin

Chief Public Defender

Tolu Nelms

First Assistant Public Defender

Carmen Mireles

Administrative Officer

Sarah V. Wood

General Counsel

Jani Maselli

Appellate Division Chief

Eric Davis

Trial Bureau Chief

Monica Gonzales

Felony Division Chief

Jane Vara

Misdemeanor Division Chief

Leslie Ginzel

Holistic Division Chief

Steven Halpert

Juvenile Division Chief

Barbara Drumheller

Mental Health Division Chief

Bob Wicoff

Wrongful Convictions Division Chief

the People we serve

Let's hear what the public has to say!

I would like to thank you for helping me make a good and wise decision and for being honest with me and explaining in DETAIL every step of the process. You have helped me 100% better than my previous attorney. Letter from a Client
This is to thank you all for treating me as a human. My lawyer from the Public Defender's Office worked tirelessly to represent me to the best of his ability. He always took the time to explain difficult situations without some fancy lawyer talk. My family was kept up to date with court proceedings. And if I wrote him from the jail, there was always a personal response, whether in writing or a call to family to fully explain the questions at hand. I can't thank you enough for the uncanny results in my case. Letter from a Client
I just wanted to write you to thank you one more time for an outstanding job on my case. You are by far the best attorney I've ever had the privilege of meeting. Letter from a Client