Macomb County Names New Public Defender

MACOMB COUNTY, MI — Macomb County Executive Mark A. Hackel on Friday announced Thomas J. Tomko as the county’s new public defender. Tomko previously served as the Macomb County Office of Public Defender Administrator, a position to which he was named in March 2020, when the office was created.

“Tom has done an outstanding job getting the county’s Office of Public Defender up and running,” Hackel said. “In the midst of a pandemic, he was able to establish plans, hire staff and begin collaborating with local courts. His incredible work will ensure defendants receive legal counsel and representation when they can’t afford it. I am certain he will excel in this new position.”

Since its inception, the Macomb County Charter has included a provision for an Office of Public Defender, the county said in a news release.

Officials said the office is different from other local county indigent defense programs, which use contract agencies or a roster of attorneys to provide services. In Macomb County, the Public Defender is a county department which will offer direct legal counsel and representation to those who need it.

“We are establishing roots here with deliberate steps toward creating a lasting, impactful and high-quality indigent defense county office,” Tomko said. “I am proud to say Macomb County is striving to meet and exceed state indigent representation standards ahead of schedule. We are getting our talented team in place, which we will expand in the future so we can continue our work on behalf of indigent adult criminal defendants in Macomb County.”

The Macomb County Office of Public Defender has three divisions: Administration, Felony Circuit Court Litigation and Misdemeanor District Court Litigation.

Administrative functions began in June and will continue to be transferred from the Judicial Aide Department over the next several weeks as additional staff join the office.

The Felony Circuit Court Litigation Division will represent a percentage of indigent adult defendants charged with felonies, many of which are capital charges.

The Misdemeanor District Court Litigation Division will represent a percentage of indigent adult defendants charged with misdemeanors in the 42-1 (Romeo) and 42-2 (New Baltimore) District Courts.

Two staff attorneys, Elisha Oakes and Adrian Cranford, will begin directly providing services to indigent defendants in the 42nd District Courts in late November, officials said.