Office of the Public Defender, 9th Judicial Circuit

The case of Gideon v. Wainwright, decided by the United States Supreme Court in 1963, led to the establishment of the Florida Public Defender System. In Gideon the court recognized that two systems of justice had prevailed for most of our history: one for the rich and another for the poor. Before 1963 there was no recognized constitutional right to an attorney for those who could not afford one. The Founding Fathers were concerned that criminal laws, while necessary, could be used by government to suppress the rights of citizens. The public defender office exists to guarantee that the poor, or indigent, have the right to a fair trial. The lawyers and staff of your Orange/Osceola Public Defender’s Office represent indigent people in criminal cases, involuntary mental health and addictions commitments and juvenile delinquency cases in our community.