Office of the Public Defender

The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Oregon provides legal defense in federal criminal cases for people charged with federal offenses who cannot afford an attorney. It operates under the Criminal Justice Act of 1964 and also handles other covered matters, such as people who have been subpoenaed to appear in U.S. District Court.

The federal court decides who is eligible for defender services. If federal law enforcement contacts you about an investigation, the office advises asking for an attorney and contacting it right away. Its Eugene office is one of three in the district, with others in Portland and Medford. Defender attorneys do not take private cases.