Expenditures by District Map FY21
The Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel
Background
The United States and Colorado Constitutions provide every accused person with the right to legal
representation by counsel in criminal prosecutions. U.S. Const., amend. VI; Colo. Const., art. II,
§16. This constitutional right means that counsel will be provided at state expense for indigent
persons in all cases in which incarceration is a possible penalty.
The Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel (OADC) was established pursuant to C.R.S. § 21-2-
101, et seq. as an independent governmental agency of the State of Colorado Judicial Branch. The
OADC is funded to provide legal representation for indigent persons in criminal and delinquency
cases in which the Office of the State Public Defender (OSPD) has an ethical conflict of interest.
Statutory Mandate/Directive
The Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel is mandated by statute to "provide to indigent
persons accused of crimes, legal services that are commensurate with those available to non-
indigents, and conduct the office in accordance with the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct
and with the American Bar Association Standards relating to the administration of criminal justice,
the defense function." C.R.S. § 21-2-101(1) (emphasis added).
Mission
The mission of the Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel (OADC), through the practice of holistic
public defense, is to help adults and children who the government has charged with criminal and
delinquent offenses. The OADC's holistic practice model fosters ethical, informed, and standard-
driven best practices in public defense. The OADC allocates resources in a manner intentionally
designed to rebalance the disparate power wielded by the government in the criminal legal
system. We advocate for every client's inherent worth and dignity by centering the client's
experiences and voice to achieve the best legal outcome.
The OADC is dedicated to zealous, client-centered advocacy rooted in social justice, integrity, and
humility. We recognize that we are working within a broken and racist criminal legal system. Public
defense advocates play an essential role in challenging bias and disparity within the courtroom,
within our offices, and within ourselves. There is a disparate presence of violent policing, over-
charging, and harsher sentencing outcomes for Colorado's people of color and other vulnerable
populations. The OADC is unwavering in its support of decarceration, the decriminalization of
youth, and equity within the criminal legal system.
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