Franklin County, Ohio / Public Defender
Agency file
The Public Defender handles legal functions of government — prosecution, legal advice, and representing the state in court.
In 2026, this agency had 194 employees with median total compensation of $36,018; the highest distinct record was $79,611.
What the records show
These summaries compare pay within the agency before listing individual records.
How 2026 total compensation is spread across the 194 employees. Each bar is a pay range; taller bars mean more people earn in that range. The amber line marks the median ($36,018) — half earn less, half more. The far-right bar collects the highest earners.
What an average paycheck here is made of — base salary versus overtime, other pay (bonuses, allowances), and benefits. A large overtime or other-pay share means take-home often exceeds base salary.
The pay ladder for this department. Someone at the 90th percentile earns $53,457 — more than 90% of the department; the 10th percentile earns $1,063. The shaded band is the middle half of employees (25th–75th percentile).
The most common job titles in this department by headcount, with the median total compensation for each. Click a title to see everyone who holds it.
Trend
How this department's total payroll, headcount, and median pay changed across the 4 published years.
| Year | Total payroll | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $10.8M — | 215 — | $54,739 — |
| 2024 | $11.8M ▲ 8.7% | 208 ▼ 3.3% | $68,438 ▲ 25.0% |
| 2025 | $12.7M ▲ 8.3% | 199 ▼ 4.3% | $75,271 ▲ 10.0% |
| 2026 | $5.9M ▼ 53.5% | 194 ▼ 2.5% | $36,018 ▼ 52.1% |
Record list
Page 1
Public Defender Investigator/Public Defender
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Michael Fusca works as a Public Defender Investigator for Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. Michael earned $41,254 in 2026.
Public Defender Pay Grade 15/Public Defender
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Michele Whaley works as a Public Defender Pay Grade 15 for Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. Michele earned $41,109 in 2026.
Public Defender Attorney 2/Public Defender
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Evan Poole holds the role of Public Defender Attorney 2 at Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. In 2026, their total compensation was $41,040.
Public Defender Attorney 2/Public Defender
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Scott Ciszewski works as a Public Defender Attorney 2 for Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. Scott earned $40,981 in 2026.
Public Defender Attorney 3/Public Defender
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At Public Defender, Derek Schneider serves as a Public Defender Attorney 3. They work full-time permanent. Their 2026 pay totaled $40,791.
Public Defender Attorney 1/Public Defender
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At Public Defender, Ryan Ward serves as a Public Defender Attorney 1. They work full-time permanent. Their 2026 pay totaled $40,790.
Public Defender Attorney 2/Public Defender
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Kara Mccole is a Public Defender Attorney 2 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $40,629.
Public Defender Attorney 1/Public Defender
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At Public Defender, Juliana Wishne serves as a Public Defender Attorney 1. They work full-time permanent. Their 2026 pay totaled $40,613.
Public Defender Pay Grade 13/Public Defender
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Susan Ross is a Public Defender Pay Grade 13 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $40,610.
Public Defender Attorney 2/Public Defender
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Maggie Mckenzie holds the role of Public Defender Attorney 2 at Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. In 2026, their total compensation was $40,579.
Public Defender Attorney 2/Public Defender
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Larissa Reyes is a Public Defender Attorney 2 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $40,387.
Public Defender Attorney 2/Public Defender
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Elizabeth Rigel is a Public Defender Attorney 2 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $40,252.
Public Defender Attorney 2/Public Defender
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Andrea Lawson holds the role of Public Defender Attorney 2 at Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. In 2026, their total compensation was $40,213.
Public Defender Attorney 1/Public Defender
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Alixandra Fields holds the role of Public Defender Attorney 1 at Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. In 2026, their total compensation was $39,796.
Public Defender Attorney 1/Public Defender
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Jacob Selsor is a Public Defender Attorney 1 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $39,442.
Public Defender Attorney 2/Public Defender
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Jacob Williams is a Public Defender Attorney 2 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $39,442.
Public Defender Attorney 1/Public Defender
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Caitlin Beers is a Public Defender Attorney 1 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $39,250.
Public Defender Pay Grade 13/Public Defender
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Michelle Brown works as a Public Defender Pay Grade 13 for Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. Michelle earned $39,193 in 2026.
Public Defender Attorney 2/Public Defender
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At Public Defender, Katherine Warren serves as a Public Defender Attorney 2. They work full-time permanent. Their 2026 pay totaled $39,098.
Public Defender Attorney 1/Public Defender
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Mariah Hicks holds the role of Public Defender Attorney 1 at Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. In 2026, their total compensation was $39,048.
Public Defender Attorney 1/Public Defender
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Catherine Hatten holds the role of Public Defender Attorney 1 at Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. In 2026, their total compensation was $38,779.
Public Defender Attorney 1/Public Defender
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Kathryn Winternitz holds the role of Public Defender Attorney 1 at Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. In 2026, their total compensation was $38,579.
Public Defender Attorney 1/Public Defender
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Alicia Lash holds the role of Public Defender Attorney 1 at Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. In 2026, their total compensation was $38,327.
Public Defender Attorney 1/Public Defender
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Rebekah Tefft works as a Public Defender Attorney 1 for Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. Rebekah earned $38,231 in 2026.