The Snohomish County Public Defender Association (SCPDA) commemorated its 50th anniversary with a dinner held on Saturday September 30th honoring the SCPDA volunteer Board of Directors and SCPDA’s dedicated staff. SCPDA’s anniversary represents not just a historical milestone. It is also a testament to the enduring impact of advocating for the rights of some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
SCPDA was created ten years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright that declared “any person haled into court who is too poor to hire a lawyer, cannot be assured a fair (criminal) trial unless counsel is provided for him. This seems to us to be an obvious truth.” Since its inception in 1973, SCPDA has been championing the rights of individuals facing loss of liberty.
The event was attended by founding member Judge Ronald Castleberry, who started in the office along with four other attorneys and 2 administrative professionals. Today, Judge Castleberry serves on SCPDA’ Board of Directors. As a reflection of SCPDA’s evolution, the organization now numbers over 150 defenders, including attorneys and administrative professionals as well as investigators and social workers.
Attendees reflected on SCPDA’s five decades of staying on mission: to provide the highest quality of representation. Looking forward, SCPDA recognizes that this mission can only be accomplished by focusing on racial equity in every aspect of the work. It was with this perspective that guests commemorated their accomplishments, and envisioned SCPDA’s next fifty years!
