Committee on Public Defense

The Committee on Public Defense was established to implement the recommendations of the WSBA Blue Ribbon Panel on Criminal Defense, which was appointed by the Board of Governors in spring 2003 as a first step in addressing concerns about the quality of indigent defense services in Washington.

• WSBA Standards for Indigent Defense Services
• UPDATED Report on the Recommendations of the WSBA Committee on Public Defense
• Report on the Recommendations of the WSBA Committee on Public Defense
  March 2007
• Read the Committee's Charter
• Read the Committee's Extended Charter
• Report of the WSBA Blue Ribbon Panel on Criminal Defense
  May 2004
• Right to Counsel in Washington (PowerPoint, PDF)
  September 2005

Death Penalty Subcommittee of the Committee on Public Defense Final Report as Adopted by the Board of Governors

The Board of Governors adopted the Final Report of the Death Penalty Subcommittee of the Committee on Public Defense on April 13, 2007.  The Death Penalty Subcommittee Report discusses how the death penalty has operated in Washington, the costs of death penalty cases, and compensation of attorneys in death penalty cases.  It makes nine recommendations regarding the death penalty in Washington.  The Board made one amendment to Recommendation 9, as noted in the report.

• Click here to read the Final Report.
• Click here to read Appendix A (Survey of Death Penalty Qualified Attorney).
• Click here to read Appendix B (Survey of Public Defender Directors).
• Click here to read Appendix C (Survey of Elected Prosecutors).
  

Public Defense Resources

• Washington State Office of Public Defense
• Washington Defender Association
  • Standards for Public Defense Services

Committee Membership

Co-chairs

Marc Bowman
1201 3rd Ave Ste 4800
Seattle, WA  98101-3266
206-359-8509
206-359-9509 fax
mboman@perkinscoie.com

Jon Ostlund
Whatcom County Public Defender
311 Grand Ave.
Bellingham, WA 98225-4048
360-676-6670
360-738-4552 fax
jostlund@co.whatcom.wa.us

WSBA Liaisons

Jennifer Danis
206-239-2106
206-727-8310 Fax
jenniferd@wsba.org

Gail Stone
206-733-5958
206-727-8319 fax
gails@wsba.org 

Board of Governors Liaison

Russell Aoki
206-624-1900
russ@aoki-sakamoto.com