Wisconsin State Public Defender

06/11/2026

Mental illness isn’t a crime. So why are jails and prisons Wisconsin’s largest mental health facilities?

Fixing this problem requires:
▪️ Investing in community-based mental health resources
▪️ Deploying mental health practitioners who can respond without escalating crises
▪️ Demanding that decision-makers in the criminal legal system stop charging the symptoms of mental illness as crimes

05/15/2026

It’s Gault Day – the 59th anniversary of a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming that youth accused of crimes have the same fundamental rights as adults. At the SPD, our youth defenders fight every day to keep that promise alive.

05/12/2026

Does your age matter in the courtroom? In Wisconsin, the answer is “not enough.”

The science is clear: Because their brains are still developing, children have less impulse control and a greater capacity for rehabilitation. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that judges must consider a child’s maturity and environment when sentencing them.

But Wisconsin has yet to catch up. Even as other states modernize, our system continues to treat kids as young as 10 as fully responsible adults – handing them adult-sized punishments.

It’s time our laws reflected the science.

(Speaker: Dr. Greg Van Rybroek, former director of the Mendota Mental Health Institute, at SPD’s Youth Defense Training)

05/08/2026

The verdict is in: Our Trial Skills Academy volunteers are top-tier.

A huge thank you to all the community members who showed up this week to help our attorneys hone their jury selection skills!

05/01/2026

Today is , and the ABA’s theme this year is “The Rule of Law and the American Dream.”
At the Wisconsin State Public Defenders, we believe the American dream is meant for everyone, not just those with the financial resources to defend themselves. That’s why we fight every day to keep the promise of equal justice alive.
Today, we honor and thank our dedicated attorneys, investigators, paralegals, and support staff across Wisconsin who work tirelessly to turn that promise into a reality.

04/23/2026

Today public defender offices nationwide are participating in a Day of Action for Public Defense by wearing black.

Last month San Francisco Chief Public Defender Mano Raju was held in contempt and fined $26,000 for refusing to let his office take on more cases without more resources. This situation highlights a national crisis of underfunding and understaffing that threatens the constitutional right to counsel.

Wearing black symbolizes a constitutional breaking point: when public defenders are punished for refusing unconstitutional workloads, the right to counsel is compromised.

Call on policymakers in Wisconsin and across the country to fund public defense and protect your right to an attorney.

04/20/2026

Last month in San Francisco, Chief Public Defender Mano Raju was held in contempt for refusing to let his office take on more cases without more resources. When public defenders are punished for refusing unconstitutional workloads, the promise of a fair trial is effectively dead.

We cannot stand by and watch our constitutional rights erode. Join us in wearing black this Thursday as we call on policymakers in Wisconsin and across the country to fund public defense and protect your right to an attorney.

04/14/2026

Are you the kind of person who checks their mail every day just hoping for that beautiful jury summons to arrive? Is your Netflix history a 24/7 loop of true crime documentaries?

Your time has come!

We’re looking for mock jurors to help our lawyers hone their skills at our Trial Skills Academy in Lake Geneva on May 5. You’ll spend the afternoon participating in simulated jury selection and getting a behind-the-scenes look at how we prepare for trial.

It’s all the fun of jury duty without being stuck in a courthouse for two weeks.

Don’t wait for the county to pick you. Pick us! Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJeuoaLHlNnPr2Hyf9sddr9vl90qAPmFTcnX6ikTiSoqebJA/viewform

04/03/2026

Governor Tony Evers is establishing a state commutation board, creating a clear path home for thousands of Wisconsinites written off by the legal system.

“For the many Wisconsinites who have done the hard work of redemption and are ready to come home, this is a chance to start anew. For our state, this is an opportunity to heal the scars left by decades of over-incarceration,” State Public Defender Jennifer Bias said.

See our full statement on our website.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed two executive orders to restore the state's process for commuting prison sentences.

03/24/2026

Digital surveillance is everywhere, and police tech is far from flawless or unbiased. Our public defenders train to protect your rights by aggressively challenging invasive or flawed methods, not just accepting the results. (Speaker: Atty. Erin Nagy at SPD Forensic University)