Our Story

The Public Defender of Marion County Office began taking cases on July 2, 2007, with two attorneys and two office staff. In a short period of time, the PDMC has increased in size and has become a strength and fixture in Marion County’s public defense.

The PDMC contracts with the state to take indigent defendants in criminal cases. The PDMC is not a state agency. It is a non-profit law firm for the benefit of its clients. The PDMC is not subject to the state’s political ebbs and flows that could influence how the PDMC defends its clients.

The Public Defender of Marion County, Inc. (PDMC) is governed by a seven-member board of trustees who hire and supervise the executive director as well as oversee long-range policies. The board is comprised of a person selected by the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, a person selected by the President of the Oregon State Bar, and a person selected by the Marion County Board of Commissioners. Those three people then nominate and elect the remaining four members.

PDMC is committed to anti-racism and removing barriers to equitable outcomes in the work we do. We understand that in Oregon and nationwide Black, Latinx, Indigenous and people of color have historically experienced disproportionate contact with the criminal justice system. Because of this we are actively committed to implementing a holistic defense model within our organization and advocating for our minoritized community members.