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Welcome to our office website.
My name is
Carlos J. Martinez,
your elected Public Defender for Miami Dade
County.
Our website will provide you with information
about our responsibilities, our qualifications and experience, as well
as the innovative and cost-effective programs that we have instituted.
You will also find valuable information about the criminal justice
system and what you might expect should you or someone you know be in
need of legal representation.
Miami Dade County is the 11th judicial circuit of
Florida, the largest and busiest of Florida’s 20 judicial circuits. Each
circuit has its own elected public defender responsible for representing
people who face the loss of their liberty and are determined by the
court to be unable to pay for a private attorney. The Public Defender's
Office is appointed by judges to represent those clients in criminal,
juvenile and mental health matters in Florida's courts.
Our office employs nearly 185 attorneys and an equal
number of support staff, such as investigators, disposition and
mitigation specialists,
secretaries, and paralegals to handle approximately 100,000 cases
assigned to us each year. We recruit locally and nationally with just
one goal in mind: Putting together a diverse team of outstanding men and
women from all racial and ethnic backgrounds who can do the best job
possible on behalf of our clients and the residents and taxpayers of
Miami-Dade County.
I'm proud of our diverse team and all that we've
accomplished with very limited resources over the years. This is as fine
a group of people as you'll find anywhere. Most could be making far more
money in the private sector, but they see their calling in public
service. Our nationally recognized training program is designed to
ensure the development of effective and ethical advocates for our
clients. More than 40 of our former lawyers have become judges.
Since 2004, the Legislature has made major changes
in the structure and funding of our court system, including the Public
Defender's Office, creating dramatic new challenges. With the help of my
management team and our highly dedicated employees, we are working to
turn these significant challenges into opportunities for improvement.
While our primary responsibility is to indigent
clients facing the loss of their liberty, my staff and I are very much
involved in helping make this a safer community for everyone who lives,
works and visits South Florida. Along this line, I encourage you to read
the brief descriptions on this web-site of our innovative programs,
including our Anti-Violence Initiative,
Community Involvement and
Partnerships, and International Cooperation Project.
Thank you,
Carlos J. Martinez
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