Get Erie County Public Defender

To change your public defender, you generally need to write a letter to the judge in your case or contact the public defender's office, depending on the rules in your state. Make sure you keep good notes of what you believe to be the biggest problems with your attorney.

A Marsden motion is a formal request made by a criminal defendant to the court. The court hears arguments on the motion from the defendant and the attorney, without the presence of the prosecutor.

For all other questions or issues, email the OPD Online Help Desk at helpdesk@opd.ohio.gov.

The Office of the Public Defender provides legal representation and other services to people accused or convicted of a crime who cannot afford to hire an attorney. Services include representation, appeals, parole violations, post-conviction relief, and more.

(1) An applicant whose gross income is 187.5 per cent or less of federally established poverty levels is presumed indigent and entitled to appointed counsel.

You may also contact the Office of the Ohio Public Defender by phone at (614) 466.5394, toll free at 1(800) 686.1573 or TTY at 1 (800) 750.0750; or by writing: 250 East Broad Street, Suite 1400, Columbus, Ohio 43215. Please do not provide any personal or private information.

As we mentioned above, court-appointed attorneys are assigned cases by the state. If you don't like your lawyer and want to request a new public defender, the process can be very difficult (however, you can fire a public defender and replace them with a private attorney without the court's approval).

To qualify for a public defender, a person must have an income that is no more than 25% above the poverty line, based on the number of people in the household.