Albany County, NY

Our office is organized not only to ensure that attorneys are present at every regularly scheduled court proceeding, but also to guarantee that they have time to prepare their cases and work with each client until the matter is resolved.

Attorneys are assigned to Albany City Court, Albany County Court, fifteen other local courts, and Parole hearings and Family Court.

We have attorneys dedicated to filing appeals in County Court, the Appellate Division, and the Court of Appeals.

The Public Defender’s Office also works with the New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services (ILS), which monitors the flow of state funds to counties for the representation of eligible clients.

Albany County participates in the “Counsel at First Appearance” (CAFA) program created under ILS grant funding to provide each person accused of a crime with an attorney to represent them at their arraignment.

As the primary source of public defense representation in Albany County, we defend clients in broad array of criminal cases ranging from simple non-criminal violations to highly complex sexual assault and homicide cases.

In the family court arena, we protect the rights of clients facing allegations of abuse and neglect, and in vitally important custody and visitation matters.

Our work begins at the earliest possible point and upon request, we will represent individuals at the first encounter with police or child protective services prior to the filing of criminal charges or a family court petition.

And in criminal cases, our attorneys will provide around-the-clock representation at the point of first appearance/arraignment so that no person will have to face a judge without a dedicated attorney at their side advocating for their freedom.

The Public Defender Office’s team consists of approximately 60 dedicated attorneys, mitigation specialists, investigators, and administrative professionals, each of whom strives to ensure that every one of our clients is afforded equal protection and due process under the law as mandated by the United States and New York State Constitutions.