Elk County Courthouse•250 Main Street•P.O. Box 448•Ridgway, PA 15853
Elk County Courthouse Annex •300 Center Street•P.O. Box 448•Ridgway, PA 15853

Public Defender

James L. Martin, Public Defender

21 South Broad Street
Ridgway, PA 15853
(814) 772-6003
(814) 772-0072--Fax

Mission Statement

The Public Defender Act requires each County within the Commonwealth to provide a defender with adequate staff and sufficient equipment to represent indigent people on:

  • Juvenile delinquency petitions
  • Pre-trial lineups
  • Preliminary hearings
  • State habeas corpus proceedings
  • State trials
  • Superior court appeals
  • Pennsylvania Supreme Court appeals
  • Post confliction matters
  • Extradition
  • Probation and Parole matters
  • Mental health proceedings
  • Any other situation where representation is constitutionally required

In addition to the services required by the Public Defender Act, the County requires that the Public Defender represents:

  • Children in dependency and adoption proceedings
  • Elderly persons on petitions brought under the Older Adult Protective Services Act.

The State also requires that the office represents any inmate incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution at Rockview who is currently involved in parole revocation proceedings.