In 1988 the Board of Supervisors of San Diego County voted to create a department charged with the defense of those people charged with crimes who are financially unable to pay an attorney. That department is called the Public Defender. Since there are times when more than one person is charged with the commission of the same crime, and it would be a conflict for the same Office to represent all defendants charged, the Board of Supervisors, in 1990, voted to create a second public defender office. It is called the Alternate Public Defender. It is responsible for handling the cases in which the Public Defender has declared a conflict.
APD MISSION STATEMENT: Ensure that the right to competent and effective defense counsel is a reality for the indigent in San Diego County by always seeking the best ethical and legal outcomes possible through skilled and vigorous representation.
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