State Appellate
Public Defender's Office

Who We Are

The Idaho State Appellate Public Defender’s Office (SAPD) was created in 1998 because the Idaho legislature recognized that the cost of providing appellate representation was an extraordinary burden on the counties of Idaho. “In order to reduce this burden, provide competent counsel but avoid paying high hourly rates to independent counsel to represent indigent defendants in appellate proceedings,” the legislature created a statewide appellate public defense office.

The SAPD is comprised of two divisions: a Capital Litigation Unit and an Appellate Unit. The Capital Litigation Unit handles cases after death sentences are imposed. In those cases, the SAPD represents its clients in post-conviction proceedings in the district courts, and in consolidated direct/post-conviction appeals to the Idaho Supreme Court.

The Appellate Unit handles non-capital appeals. These include direct appeals in juvenile, misdemeanor, and non-capital felony cases, as well as post-conviction and habeas corpus appeals. Those appeals are heard by the Idaho Court of Appeals and/or the Idaho Supreme Court.

The SAPD strives to provide superb representation to all of its clients. Its attorneys are among the most experienced and highly skilled appellate and capital attorneys in Idaho. They work tirelessly to protect their clients’ rights and ensure fair outcomes. The SAPD recognizes and celebrates the humanity of each client by treating them with dignity and respect while giving them a voice in a legal system that can otherwise make them feel unheard and powerless.

The SAPD’s vision is, “A better Idaho where the legal system treats each person with fairness and dignity.”