About us

The purpose of the Office of the Public Defender is to safeguard  individual rights in all criminal and related matters, from arrest or confinement through all stages of the criminal proceedings  including trial, if any, consistent with  applicable laws, court rules, and rules of professional responsibility.   Our primary function is to provide the zealous assistance of effective counsel in all criminal and related proceedings.

Our goals

• Fully investigate cases in a manner and within a time period which will provide each individual with the level of service mandated by law.
• Provide effective criminal defense to all clients so that constitutional rights are guaranteed, including the right to a fair trial.
• To quickly undertake productive representation of those who are indigent.
• Administer indigent defense resources wisely and promote efficiency in all operations so that each individual shall receive the service to which he is  entitled by law.
• Collaborate with other county, state, public defender and judicial agencies to develop and  implement legally appropriate and cost-effective alternative punishment  and rehabilitation options.

Defending the rights of the accused: Preserving the rights of us all.

On March 5, 1770, American colonists protesting British policies gathered in Boston.  British soldiers turned out to control the protests and violence erupted.  When it was over, 5 colonists lay dead and 8 British soldiers were arrested and placed on trial for murder.  

Not surprisingly, few Boston attorneys were interested in representing the British soldiers.  The soldiers were hated, viewed as terrorists who had killed Americans on American soil!  But one lawyer did step forward.  He was not a British sympathizer.  He understood the consequences he would face, but he represented the 8 accused soldiers anyway!

That attorney was John Adams.  The 2nd President of the United States of America and our First Public Defender.

Gideon v. Wainwright

The U.S. Supreme Court held that the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of counsel is a  fundamental right essential to a fair trial and, as such, applies the  states through the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.   In 1963, the United States Supreme Court held in Gideon v. Wainwright,  that poor people accused of crimes were constitutionally entitled to  the assistance of an attorney. In that case, U.S. Supreme Court Justice  and Alabama native Hugo Black wrote:

“reason and  reflection require us to recognize that in our adversary system of  criminal justice, any person haled into court, who is too poor to hire a  lawyer, cannot be assured a fair trial unless counsel is provided for  him.”  He further wrote that the “noble ideal” of “fair trials before  impartial tribunals  in which ever defendant stands equal before the law  . . . cannot be realized if the poor man charged with crime has to face  his accusers without a lawyer to assist him.” 

Our Shelby County History:

The Shelby County Public Defender's Office is the second oldest public defender office in Alabama. The Office opened in 1991 with Mr. Bob Williams as the first Public Defender for Shelby County, Alabama.  

Michael A. Hensley was appointed as Public Defender and Director in August, 2020.  In October 2020, the Shelby County Public Defender's Office started representing individuals in our Misdemeanor and Traffic Courts.  In August 2022, the office added a Social Worker to its staff.  In October 2022, representation of individuals in our Drug Court was added.  In 2022, we started defending individuals charged with a Capital Offense.  Also in 2022, the Shelby County Public Defender's Office started representing Misdemeanor Appeals in Shelby County.

Our defense team currently consists of  Attorneys, Paralegals, Legal Assistants, Social Workers, and Investigators.    Our attorneys represent individuals charged with state felony offenses including capital murder, misdemeanor offenses, traffic offenses and misdemeanor appeals.  Our attorneys even represent clients in Drug Court.  The staff has tripled in size since August 2020.   There are public defenders in court almost every day!