New Jersey Office of the Public Defender
The New Jersey Office of the Public Defender (OPD) is a state agency that provides free legal help to low-income people charged with major crimes. It was created in 1967.
Key points:
- It became part of the New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate in 1974. When the Public Advocate position was abolished in 1994, the OPD remained independent by being “in but not of” the Department of the Treasury, to keep it separate from the Attorney General.
- The original law allowed the OPD to request reimbursements from defendants who could pay some costs. This requirement was removed in 2023 (Senate Bill S3771).
- In December 2023, Jennifer Sellitti was named Public Defender, taking office on February 1, 2024, succeeding Joseph E. Krakora.
Headquarters: 25 Market Street, Trenton, NJ 08625
Website: http://www.nj.gov/defender
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 05:53 (CET).