Mississippi Office of State Public Defender

Mississippi Office of State Public Defender is a state agency established in 2011 to provide comprehensive legal representation and support services to indigent individuals in Mississippi. The agency encompasses several divisions: Capital Defense, Indigent Appeals, Defender Training, and Parent Defense. Capital Defense offers direct trial and appellate representation in death penalty cases, along with training in capital defense practices. Indigent Appeals provides legal representation for indigent individuals convicted of felonies, including handling Youth Court appeals upon request, and offers training and technical assistance to trial-level defenders. Defender Training delivers training and technical assistance to public defenders across all state, county, municipal, and youth courts, and provides current information to the Legislature on public defense needs. The Parent Defense program oversees services for parents in child welfare cases, including training and technical assistance for frontline defenders and representation in select appeals. Additionally, the agency maintains directories of Mississippi public defenders, including felony level public defenders, certified parent defenders, and certified youth defenders, to assist in connecting individuals with appropriate legal representation.