Our Mission
The Office of the Public Defender is committed to providing and promoting quality legal representation for indigent adults and children facing the loss of their rights, liberty and dignity.
We provide legal representation to those accused of crimes in Delaware County who cannot afford a private attorney. We represent thousands of clients each year charged with crimes with a wide range variety of conduct, practicing in the District Justice Courts, the Court of Common Pleas, and the Appellate Courts of Pennsylvania. In addition, the Office of the Public Defender represents our youth facing accusations in the Juvenile Court of Delaware County, and those charged with contempt in Family Court who face the threat of incarceration.
The Delaware County Office of the Public Defender is committed to working to transform the criminal justice system in ways that increase public safety and foster healthy communities by supporting people on the margins, provide healing for those who experience harm and expanding access to justice and services for everyone.
Your criminal defense team is not just the lawyers—your defense team includes social service professionals, non-attorney advocates, investigators, and administrative staff. Legal interns from renowned universities join our team on a cyclical basis to provide additional case preparation and legal support to our defense attorneys. In 2020, Delco Defender expanded beyond conventional public defense to establish social service units in both its juvenile and adult trial units and also created an investigative unit. In 2022, Delaware County joined forces with Partners for Justice to further embed five non-attorney advocates to assist our clients with the numerous challenges that arise when accused and, often, incarcerated.
Building a strong team of zealous defense advocates cannot be done in a vacuum. Delco Defenders are active members in the Pennsylvania Public Defender Association and Delaware County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and participate regularly in trainings and conferences hosted by those organizations as well as the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and regional justice think tanks and universities. We engage with Delaware County leadership and stakeholders to improve the delivery of justice, expand opportunities for diversion, and promote better social and individual outcomes for our clients and community. We know that the root causes of contact with the criminal system arise from complex needs that cannot be met by a penal system and thus work to connect our clients with civil legal services and social support systems such as those found on our Resources page
Our Team
Management
Chief |Â Adult Trial UnitÂ
610-891-4016
Chief |Â Mental Health Unit
610-891-4337
Chief |Â Pre-Trial UnitÂ
610-891-6006
Chief |Â Re-Entry UnitÂ
610-891-5473
Chief |Â Juvenile UnitÂ
610-891-6128
Chief |Â Appeals UnitÂ
610-891-4080
Assistant Chief |Â Diversion,
Re-entry, OperationsÂ
610-891-4091
Chief |Â Adult Social Services & Policy UnitÂ
610-891-4435
Major Felony Unit
610-891-4015
Assistant Public Defenders
Christina Ashworth
ashworthc@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5472
Elizabeth Berry
berrye@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4765
Vanessa Bellino
bellinov@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4080
Paige Benedetto
benedettop@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4630
Eric Burdette
burdettee@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5832
Anna Chaney
malonea@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4132
Eric Closs
closse@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5829
Taylr Coben
cobent@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-8081
Kenneth Collins
collinsk@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5471
Shelby Dolch
dolchs@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4252
Charles Feeley
feeleyc@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5199
Katia Floret
floretk@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5881
Anthony Foltz
foltza@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5461
Anna Hinchman
hinchmana@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4105
Glen Hoffman
hoffmang@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4079
David Iannucci
iannuccid@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5464
Michaela Kelly
kellyma@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4762
Alannah King
kinga@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4265
Amy Lattari
lattaria@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4018
Patrick McCafferty
mccaffertyp@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4096
Benjamin McCready
mccreadyb@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4991
Alyssa Mallgrave
mallgravea@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4059
Luke Mercurio
mercuriol@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4927
Melina Micich
micichm@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4114
Nathan Orians
Oriansn@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-7986
Christopher Panetta
panettac@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5409
Steven Papi
papis@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5475
Devon Potts
pottsd@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5467
Jay Price
priceja@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5098
Ian Pulz
Pulzi@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4765
Pauline Rouse
rousep@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4251
Nicholena Rushton
rushtonn@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4333
Ashley Smith
smithaw@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-6430
Ryan Smith
smithr@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5324
Jeffrey Sobel
sobelj@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4017
Andrea West
westa@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5476
Interdisciplinary Staff
Alyssa Biederman
Investigator
biedermana@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4130
Timothy Hardy
Investigator
hardyt@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-6124
Victoria Marchei
Social Service Advocate
marcheiv@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5479
Natacha Carroll
Juvenile Social Service Advocate
carrolln@co.delaware.pa.us
610-773-0354
Peter Brown
Client Advocate
brownpl@co.delaware.pa.us
484-724-6338
Maren Frye
Client Advocate
fryem@co.delaware.pa.us
484-724-6297
Ruth Mercedes
Client Advocate
mercedesr@co.delaware.pa.us
484-724-6242
Destiny Rosulme
Client Advocate
rosulmed@co.delaware.pa.us
484-724-6125
Melissa Simon
Client Advocate
simonm@co.delaware.pa.us
484-724-6293
Yvonne Bradley
Major Felony Mitigation Specialist
bradleyy@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5474
Administrative Staff
Kristin Drye
Executive Administrator
dryek@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4070
Muhammad Farooq
Application System Specialist
farooqm@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5477
Sabrina Albright
Case Aide
albrights@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4084
Kathi Boese
Case Aide
boesek@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-8082
Taja Hilliard
Case Aide
hilliardt@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-5709
Missy Illingsworth
Case Aide
illingsworthm@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4102
Dina Liss
Case Aide
lissd@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4083
Billie Jo Sears
Case Aide
searsb@co.delaware.pa.us
610-891-4424