Humboldt County Public Defender's Office

01/06/2026

Really excited to get this implemented for our community!

📰 COUNTY OF HUMBOLDT PRESS RELEASE: The Humboldt County Public Defender’s Office was recently awarded $743,864 from the Office of the State Public Defender’s Expanded Public Defense Grant to expand its holistic defense services.

Holistic defense combines legal representation with social work, reentry support and community-based services to help the Public Defender’s clients stabilize their lives and avoid future involvement with the criminal legal system.

Funding received will support additional staffing and program capacity to enhance coordination between attorneys, social workers, investigators and community partners. Expanding client-centered services that bring together multiple areas of support will help the Public Defender’s Office address the underlying social, behavioral health and economic challenges that often lead to their clients’ involvement with the justice system.

“This funding allows our office to better serve clients by addressing the root causes that bring people into contact with the justice system,” said Humboldt County Chief Public Defender Luke Brownfield. “By expanding holistic defense services, we can improve case outcomes, promote public safety and connect clients to critical resources such as housing, treatment and benefits.”

The Humboldt County Public Defender’s Office has been a leader in implementing holistic defense practices in rural Humboldt County, recognizing that effective legal advocacy extends beyond the courtroom and into the broader context of clients’ lives.

Funds received from the Office of the State Public Defender reflects the state’s commitment to strengthening defense services for clients who cannot afford to hire a private attorney and promoting equitable access to justice across California.

Check out the full press release at: tinyurl.com/PublicDefenderReceivesGrant

For more information about the Humboldt County Public Defender’s Office, visit:
tinyurl.com/HumCoPublicDefender.

📸 Pictured: Sunset over the rocky shoreline at Luffenholtz Beach near Trinidad, CA, with text reading “County of Humboldt press release” alongside the County of Humboldt logo. Photo by Martin Swett.

08/21/2024

Give this incredible article a read! We are so proud of Deputy Public Defender Adrian Kamada, and so relieved for our client, Mr. Aaron Bjorkstrand.

On stands now.

03/17/2023

Wishing you a Happy & Safe St. Patrick’s Day! 🍀💚🎉

02/23/2023

Congratulations to Deputy Public Defender, Emery Welton! On February 21, a Humboldt County jury acquitted Mr. Welton’s client on all counts based on a coercion defense; driving under the influence with special allegations of high blood alcohol content and refusal of chemical test. Great work, Emery!

01/25/2020

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-innocent-people-plead-guilty/2018/01/12/e05d262c-b805-11e7-a908-a3470754bbb9_story.html

It’s simple. Just let the criminal justice system work its magic.

11/10/2019

Chesa Boudin won election as the city’s next district attorney Saturday on a campaign promising to confront mass incarceration and racial disparities in the criminal justice system, while vowing to hold police more accountable in cases of brutality.

09/20/2019

Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster has grave concerns about the Willits Police Department’s hiring of Jacob Jones, having learned of sustained allegations of the...

09/06/2019

Twenty years ago, Norway started focusing on rehabilitating prisoners, and sharply cut reoffending rates.

09/03/2019

https://www.vox.com/2014/5/30/5764096/homeless-shelter-housing-help-solutions?fbclid=IwAR3xqLtIRPCa11-Szxba7gyToeP1AeMxAMT6cbgVYVMlXrrceuRj87MQFx0

Addressing housing directly is cheaper than relying on cops and emergency rooms.

08/22/2019

If American defendants are innocent until proven guilty as a matter of law, they are nonetheless too often treated as guilty until proven innocent as a matter of fact.

07/03/2019