Ingham County Office of the Public Defender

07/02/2026

The Ingham County Office of the Public Defender will be closed Friday July 3rd, in observation of Independence Day. We will reopen on Monday July 6th.

06/22/2026

We hope to see people taking advantage of this opportunity!

04/17/2026

The Ingham County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution at their April 14 meeting appointing Stephen Cornish the new Chief Public Defender. Mr. Cornish previously served as Deputy Chief Public Defender and brings extensive criminal defense experience to our office. Please join us in congratulating Chief Cornish on this well deserved appointment.

04/01/2026

The Ingham County Office of the Public Defender will be closed on Friday April 3rd, in honor of Good Friday

02/18/2026

Join the Michigan Department of State for a free clinic to learn how to get your driver's license restored this Friday, March 13th, at The Union Missionary Baptist Church at 500 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Appointments start at 10:00 am and end at 3:30 pm but walk-ins are welcome from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

01/02/2026

Our office will be closed at 1 pm today, January 2, 2026, in order to allow our staff to pay their respects to our Chief Public Defender, Keith Watson, who passed away on December 23, 2025. Mr. Watson was admired by many, including his staff. Mr. Watson will be remembered for the significant impacts he made to the Office of the Public Defender during his tenure. He will be missed.

Celebrate the life of Keith Watson, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information care of Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes.

12/25/2025

The night before last I lost a good friend and Ingham county lost a great public servant. I was the first Public Defender for Ingham County. I knew when I applied I was going to need Keith Watson. Not only was he an excellent trial attorney but I had watched as the younger attorneys sought out his counsel. He worked with me my entire time and then he stepped into the role as Public Defender. He left us too soon