What We Believe:
Mission Statement
The mission of the Office of the Public Defender - Tuscaloosa County is to provide client-centered representation to its clients: those persons accused of crimes in Tuscaloosa County District and Circuit Courts, and Tuscaloosa and Northport Municipal Courts, who are unable to afford to hire counsel after the courts have appointed our office to represent those persons.
Vision & Values
The Office acts as a team seeking to positively effect the lives of our clients who are charged with crimes in Tuscaloosa County, by providing zealous, conscientious, caring, professional, ethical and skilled representation.
Client-Centered Representation:
“Client-centered” representation means that the lawyer gives the client the power, ability and the right to decide what direction he wants his case to take, after being given the information and counsel he needs. The lawyer attempts to understand the client’s situation from the client’s point of view, and respects that client’s right to choose the ultimate course of his case.
The Office of Public Defender is a client-centered office. We not only respect our clients’ stated goals of representation, we listen to our clients, and we examine their special needs as they relate not only to the best possible outcome for their cases, but beyond that, the best possible means of improving their lives, and their place in the community.