Legal Division

The Legal Division handles all non-capital cases for the Ohio Public Defender. This division consists of two sections: Appeals and Post-Conviction Section; and Intake/Prison Legal Services Section. John A. Bay supervises this division.

The Appeals and Post-Conviction Section represents clients who have already finished their trials and direct appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court, and were represented by county public defenders or an appointed attorney. Assistant public defenders then review the client’s claim of unlawful imprisonment and determines whether or not the claim has merit.

If the claim does not have merit, the attorney meets with or writes the client to explain why their claim has no merit. If a claim has arguable merit, the attorney uses state-of-the-art research tools, and with the assistance of support staff, litigates the claim in the appropriate courts.

In Ohio, there are over 44,000 adults and 2,500 juveniles in prisons and detention facilities. This Division, while facing a considerable challenge in meeting the needs of these persons requesting assistance, provides the finest legal representation with the available resources.

The Intake/Prison Legal Services Section reviews cases forwarded to the central office claiming unlawful imprisonment. Attorneys in this section also provide orientation for new prisoners, giving them a legal packet containing sentence and release information. The packet also addresses the areas of greatest concern to the inmates, and gives an overview of the services provided by the State Public Defender. This section also provides representation at parole revocation hearings to parolees who are charged with violating some condition(s) of their parole.

Jim Foley supervises this section.

► Legal Division Staff

"Justice consists not in being neutral between right and wrong, but in finding out the right and upholding it, wherever found, against the wrong."

Theodore Roosevelt