publicdefender.cuyahogacounty.usCuyahoga County Public Defender

DO NOT EDIT. COPY THIS LINE BELOW, CHANGE THE TEXT, AND REMOVE THE COMMENT MARKUP. DELETE SECOND LINE WHEN DONE. All County buildings are currently closed to the public. Please visit our Online services page for resources and information. Cuyahoga County Justice Center, Juvenile Justice Center, and Courthouse remain open for essential functions. -- Government Organizational Chart History Residents Communities Visitors Business A-Z Directory Online Services Home About The Public Defender Contact Us FAQ's Divisions Forms Links Event calendar News Employment You are here: Home Welcome to the Website Coronavirus COVID-19 Notice: As our community responds to COVID-19 (CoronaVirus), the ’s Office remains committed to its mission of providing consistently excellent representation and vigorous advocacy to protect the rights of low income people in criminal, juvenile delinquency, and parental rights matters. We will ensure our mission is fulfilled, while also protecting the health of our clients, our employees, and the general public. In order to achieve this goal, we must limit the numbers of people routinely in our offices. Therefore, we are temporarily suspending all in-person intakes, requests for assistance, and public inquiries. Only in-person meetings necessary for client representation will be scheduled. Please do not walk-in to our office to request assistance. If you are a current client and have a question, please contact your attorney. If you are unable to reach your attorney please call one of the main phone lines below. If you are not yet a client and are seeking legal assistance or have a question about one of the following matters, please call the appropriate numbers. (216) 443-2190 for misdemeanors in Cleveland Municipal Court. All municipal intakes will be conducted by phone and should be initiated by calling this number. (216) 443-8355 for felony cases. (216) 443-7583 for appeals . (216) 443-7580 for expungements. Expungement applications can be obtained here and submitted by email to pdgeneral@cuyahogacounty.us or by mail to 310 W. Lakeside, Suite 200, Cleveland, Ohio 44113. (216) 443-7295 for juvenile cases. The office was created in 1977 to provide legal services to indigent adults and juveniles charged with violations of the criminal code. Cases are assigned to the Public Defender office by the judges of the Court of Common Pleas. General andJuvenile Divisions, and the Eighth District Court of Appeals. The 100 member staff of the office includes attorneys, law clerks, paralegals, social workers,investigators and support staff. In total, the staff handles over 10,000 cases annually. Our Pledge to You... The Office provides consistently excellent representation and vigorous advocacy to protect the rights of low income people in criminal, juvenile delinquency, and parental rights matters. We treat each client with dignity and respect and tailor our representation to meet their unique needs. We ensure that our clients receive an ardent defense and equal justice throughout their involvement with the legal system. How Do I... Get my criminal record expunged? Apply for Employment? Courthouse Square 310 Lakeside Avenue, Suite 400 Cleveland OH 44113 216.443.7223 County Home Page A-Z Service Directory Contact Us FAQs Terms of Use Public Records Policy Privacy Policy Social Media Policy Accessibility Statement Disclaimer Powered by the Department of Information Technology...