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When a person accused of a crime can't afford to hire their own lawyer, the court is constitutionally required to hire one for them so they can have a fair fight in court.
In Alpena, that job now falls to the Northeast Michigan Regional Defenders Office.
It's an important job, helping to guarantee justice is served justly in our courtrooms.
And, two years after its formation, the Regional Defenders Office is seeing growth, News staff writer Temi Fadayomi reported recently.
When its doors first opened on July 1, 2021, the agency used office space on Chisholm Street, with plans to relocate. The office had three attorneys, with plans to hire a fourth, and plans for a site in Montmorency County.
Now, the office is permanently located at 503 N. Second Ave., has four attorneys in Chief Public Defender Rick Steiger, Chief Deputy Public Defender Julie Miller, Ron Bayot, deputy public defender, and Deputy Public Defender Dennis Grenowicz, as well as two additional support staff and an in-house social worker.
The agency also has an office in Atlanta with one person working as support staff.
The office hopes to hire a full-time investigator and additional attorneys to continue to provide a robust defense -- as the Founding Fathers intended -- for those accused of a crime.
We're glad to see the agency flourish and wish them continued success in the future.