David Joseph Sutton, Public Defender — David Joseph Sutton has dedicated his legal career to indigent defense and social justice. David's legal career began with an internship at the Marin County Public Defender’s Office in the summer of 2006. Following graduation, David worked as a Deputy Public Defender in Marin County. David was appointed to serve as the Marin County Public Defender in September 2021.
Before returning to Marin County, David was a Federal Public Defender for 10 years. David most recently served as the Los Angeles Trial Chief at the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Central District of California. David has represented clients in various criminal matters, including misdemeanors, serious felonies with decades-long mandatory minimum prison sentences, white-collar and medical frauds, and cases punishable by the federal death penalty.
David received his Bachelor of Arts from San Francisco State University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of San Francisco School of Law. David currently sits on his law school’s Board of Governors. He is also a current member of the State Bar of California’s Judicial Nominations and Evaluations Committee.
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Debra A. Leyva, Chief Deputy Public Defender — Debra, a Southern California native, moved north to attend both college and law school. She received her degree at Sonoma State University in sociology and she later received her J.D. from the University of San Francisco Law School, where she qualified for the McAuliffe Honor Society.
Debra began work with the Marin County Public Defender's Office in 1982. During her thirty-nine years of practice, she has represented clients in criminal, juvenile, mental health, misdemeanor and felony cases, including several major felony trials. She has supervised in the felony and misdemeanor units for the past thirteen years.
Debra has dedicated her career to the practice of public criminal defense and considers her compassion for her clients the motivating force in her pursuit of justice.
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