Board of Supes Justifies Hiring Public Defender After Being Threatened With a Law Suit

David Marcus

David Marcus left the Lassen County Public Defender’s Office to reportedly to become the chief executive officer for a dental lab company. [Screen grab of the August 23, 2011 Lassen County Times]

Humboldt County Board of Supervisors isn’t backing down from their recent hire of David Marcus as the Public Defender. In a press release below, they said that Marcus had gone through the interview process and they choose  to hire “Mr. Marcus, who was not the candidate recommended by the interview panel.”

The North Coast Journal’s award winning Thaddeus Greenson reported a week ago, “A local attorney is threatening legal action if the county of Humboldt doesn’t remove newly hired Public Defender David Marcus from his post or prove that he’s qualified to hold it.” (Please read the rest of this article by clicking here.)

There has been a lot of discussion both privately and publically that Marcus’s hiring could fail to provide defendants in the court system with a champion as those involved in the hiring process may have been inappropriately swayed by those on the side of law enforcement and prosecution.

Below is today’s press release from the Board of Supervisors:

There has been a lot of misinformation surrounding the Board of Supervisors’ hiring of David Marcus as the Public Defender that needs clarification.

After receiving numerous applications the Board decided on five candidates to interview. An additional interview panel was also formed and interviewed all five candidates. The Board also met with retired Public defender Kevin Robinson to discuss the in-house candidates. Three applicants were interviewed a second time by the Board. The Board exercised its discretion and hired Mr. Marcus, who was not the candidate recommended by the interview panel.

Mr. Marcus has 14 years of experience as a Public Defender in San Bernardino County and six years as the Public Defender for Lassen County, totaling more than 20 years of criminal defense work. For the past five years he has been practicing law for the firm of Cella, Lange and Cella in Walnut Creek, Calif. on a contract basis while living in Florida. Mr. Marcus has significant criminal law experience and meets all statutory requirements for the position. We look forward to working with him as our Public Defender.

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throttlebro
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throttlebro
7 years ago

Pubic pretender…. What a joke

free the weed
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free the weed
7 years ago

estelle fennel needs to go. please, please dont vote for her should she run for supervisor again. she “used to be cool” but shes become a mouthpiece making way more taxpayer money than she deserves.

Guest
Guest
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  free the weed

Agreed for greed she has the need

Veterans friend
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Veterans friend
7 years ago
Reply to  free the weed

I so agree. She has sold out her constituancy and no longer respects those who supported her.

Veterans friend
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Veterans friend
7 years ago

I used to know Estelle. She has become a very different person. Power seems to have changed her. I will not support or vote for her again.

Marie
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Marie
7 years ago

Good. Now the Board of Supervisors can face the legal challenge of hiring an unqualified and suitable candidate.

hard to tell the difference, eh?
Guest
hard to tell the difference, eh?
7 years ago

OK so….we have a pretender that’s supposed to be a defender? Yeah, well I didn’t hire him. I think half of the dogs in the county could do better catching frisbees. Chiv called it first