Sacramento County Office of the Public Defender

08/18/2026

The Public Defender’s Office has reached our capacity for expungement or record clearing cases. We cannot accept new clients at this time for this type of case. Legal Service of Northern California may be able to help you with this matter. They can be reached at (916)551-2150.

08/14/2026

The Sacramento County Superior Court has launched eCourt for criminal cases. The Office of the Public Defender is continuing to work with the Court and other agencies to make this transition as seamless as possible. Thank you to all for your patience as we adapt to the new processes that come with this launch. See the link below for additional information

  The court has launched a new criminal case management system effective August 10, 2026. For information on how to use the new case management system, please refer to the Criminal Portal Public Users Guide.

07/29/2026

Robert Harlan, a distinguished figure in the legal community, served as the County's third Public Defender. Born in 1923, he enlisted in the Navy in 1942, where he was a member of an underwater explosive ordinance team, a precursor to the Navy SEALs. His bravery during the invasion of Okinawa earned him the Silver Star for valor. After passing the bar in 1949, he worked at the Sacramento DA's office before being appointed Public Defender in 1952. He resigned in 1953 to pursue private practice, eventually becoming a partner at Downey Brand. Mr. Harlan passed away in 2001, leaving behind a legacy of dedication and service.

06/12/2026

Today Supervising Assistant Public Defenders Addie Young and Jenny Stoneburner were honored with the Chris Carlson Big Heart Award. The Big Heart Award recognizes individuals in the collaborative justice community who embody Chris Carlson’s compassion and extraordinary commitment to providing treatment with accountability for people involved in the criminal justice system. Chris Carlson served as a Deputy District Attorney in Sacramento for many years. He was instrumental in the current formation of the Collaborative Courts in Sacramento County. Prior to his passing this award was named in his honor. Congratulations to Jenny and Addie for this well deserved award!

06/05/2026

14 years before the US Supreme Court decided the case of Gideon v. Wainwright, Sacramento County appointed its second Public Defender. In 1949 Oscar A Kistle replaced Elvin Sheehy to become the County's first full time Public Defender. Mr. Kistle was born in a log cabin in 1908. He moved from Nevada City to Sacramento in 1916. He was a graduate of Sacramento High School. In 1933 he began working for the Sacramento Police Department as a property Clerk. In 1937 he graduate from McGeorge School of Law, but continued working for the Police department.
During World War Two he served with the 88th and 34th Infantry Divisions of the Army. He saw action in Africa and Italy. He was awarded the Silver Star , two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart.
He retuned to Sacramento and passed the bar in 1946. That same year he joined the District Attorney’s office.
He resigned as the Public Defender in 1952 to go into private practice. He eventually returned to the DA’s office where he rose to become the chief deputy in that office.
In 1965 he was appointed to the Municipal Court and then to the Superior Court in 1967.
He passed away in 1994.

05/22/2026

The history of the Sacramento County Public Defender begins with Elvin F Sheehy. Mr. Sheehy was born in Santa Rosa in 1906. He moved to Sacramento as a child and graduated from Sacramento H.S. He worked as a messenger for the Sacramento Star and Sacramento Bee newspapers. Later he moved to the Los Angles and work for the LA Herald. In 1926 he moved back to Sacramento and entered McGeorge Law School. He graduated in 1930 and past the bar the same year.
He was in private practice in the early 1930’s. He was appointed by the Court to represent one of the 5 inmates of Folsom prison accused of murdering the Warden and a guard during an escape attempt in 1937.
In the late 1930’s he became a Deputy District Attorney. He served in that office until he enlisted in the Army in 1942. He rose to become a Captain and flew glider planes as an Intelligence Officer.
Mr. Sheehy became the County’s first Public Defender in 1948. The position was part time and paid $300 a month.
He resigned as the Public Defender in 1949 to become the Chief Assistant District Attorney. Appointed to the Municipal Court in 1955 and then the Superior Court in 1963. He retired from the bench in 1969. He passed away in 1991.

05/14/2026

The Sacramento County Public Defender is dedicated to keeping due process matter for our community through zealous advocacy for our clients.

Stay tuned for updates, resources, and upcoming events that matter to you.

04/24/2026

Standing in Support of Public Defender Offices through out California.

Staff from the Office of the Sacramento County Public Defender, Juvenile Division

04/24/2026

Standing in Support of Public Defender Offices through out California.

Staff from the Office of the Sacramento County Public Defender, Downtown Office

04/21/2026

April 23rd Day of Action

Over the past several years, California has enacted important reforms addressing racial justice, mental health, and substance use in the criminal legal system which has significantly expanded the duties, responsibilities, and workload of public defenders. Yet the funding for this work continues to fall primarily on counties, without a consistent, ongoing state investment.
Ensuring the right to counsel requires aligning resources with responsibilities. We encourage our community to share with state legislators the importance of providing adequate, ongoing funding for public defense.
We join other Public Defender offices across the state in wearing black on April 23 and invite our community to do the same in recognition of the importance of funding the right to counsel.