Frequently Asked Questions

Our office is only by court appointment. If you cannot afford to hire an attorney and have been arrested or cited into court, you must appear before the Judge or Court Clerk and complete an Affidavit of Indigency to apply for the Public Defender. If you are incarcerated, you can do this by asking the Jail Administrator for an Affidavit of Indigency and you will appear by Zoom with the Judge. The Judge will determine whether you qualify or not. Sometimes, our office will have a conflict, and the Judge will appoint a private attorney from the local bar association to be your attorney. That lawyer is not a public defender. He or she will contact you directly. Once you are assigned an Assistant Public Defender, our office will send you information regarding your case, your court date, your criminal warrant and your contact information of your attorney. Expect your assigned attorney to meet with you either by phone or in person within seven days. Please stay in contact with our office if you make bond, change your contact information or address.

Yes, to both. Our office is at 101 S. Public Square, Centerville. You are more than welcome to make an appointment for an in-person meeting. In fact, we welcome in-person meetings to review videos, audio tapes, and other visual evidence. However, we understand not everyone can come to the office. We also offer phone consultations and ZOOM meetings we can arrange with your cell phone. Please note if you are calling or texting from jail—your calls and texts are being recorded and listened to regardless of who you are communicating with. So watch what you say!

Call the office at 931-253-4911 and give the Office Manager your name and case number and she will give you the name and number of your Assistant Public Defender. If our office has not been assigned to your case, she will give you the name and phone number of the Court Clerk to call.

We have court every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, so that leaves only Wednesday and Friday to return phone calls and conduct meetings. Please be patient. Always leave a detailed message. Also, follow up with an email or text message which the attorney can respond to easier while he or she is in court. Also, remember we cannot respond to phone calls, emails, and messages left by your family members or loved ones.

We are not trying to be rude but --- As lawyers, we are required by law, by statute, and by the Rules of Professional Conduct to maintain strict confidentiality of any and all information related to the representation of our clients, past and present. All information, records, and files related to the representation of a client of this Office are not public records; they are the property of the client and are not subject to disclosure to any person whether that person is related to the client or not absent WRITTEN consent of the client.

No, this is prohibited by law.

No, this is prohibited by law. We can, however, contact your family to advise him or her of your bond, etc., at reasonable times.

Contact the Office Manager at 931-253-4911 and she will take the next step. Please be advised that we will hear your concerns, we will try to fix the situation, and find the best solution. However, we are a small office with limited staff and resources. Therefore, changing lawyers is not an option.

Call us as soon as possible. We need to plan for you to come to court as soon as possible. Most likely the court has issued a warrant for your arrest. Only the Judge that issued the warrant can set that aside. If you come to Court, we will ask the Judge to set the warrant aside. It will be up to the Judge to make that decision. Until the Judge addresses the Warrant, the police may arrest you if there is a warrant for your arrest.