Community Outreach

Public Defenders in the Community


For more than forty-five years the Public Defender has been meeting the needs of Merced County residents in need of effective advocacy against criminal prosecutions. Merced County Public Defender serves the juvenile and adult population of criminal defendants who are unable to afford private counsel.

Community outreach is one of the ways we are able to achieve our mission. Community outreach helps to assure that the Public Defender’s mission is properly communicated and can take on many forms. Public Defender attorneys participate in the Family Resource Council’s Re-Direct Program, law-related presentations in local high schools, UC Merced’s mock trials, etc.

The dedicated and public-minded attorneys of the Merced County Public Defender have participated in these projects for a large number of years.