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 Attorney 3/Public Defender
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Robert Nekervis is a Public Defender Attorney 3 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $47,521.
Public Defender Attorney 4/Public Defender
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Lillian Mendieta holds the role of Public Defender Attorney 4 at Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. In 2026, their total compensation was $47,329.
Public Defender Attorney 4/Public Defender
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Crystal Flood is a Public Defender Attorney 4 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $47,292.
Public Defender Attorney 4/Public Defender
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Lauren Garrard works as a Public Defender Attorney 4 for Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. Lauren earned $47,100 in 2026.
Public Defender Attorney 4/Public Defender
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At Public Defender, Meriden Thomas serves as a Public Defender Attorney 4. They work full-time permanent. Their 2026 pay totaled $47,079.
Public Defender Attorney 4/Public Defender
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Aric Birdsell is a Public Defender Attorney 4 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $46,942.
Public Defender Attorney 4/Public Defender
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Sara Zumstein holds the role of Public Defender Attorney 4 at Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. In 2026, their total compensation was $46,942.
Public Defender Attorney 4/Public Defender
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Mary Smith is a Public Defender Attorney 4 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $46,927.
Public Defender Attorney 4/Public Defender
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Katherine Craft is a Public Defender Attorney 4 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $46,827.
Public Defender Attorney 4/Public Defender
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David Schutte is a Public Defender Attorney 4 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $46,727.
Public Defender Attorney 3/Public Defender
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Helena D'Arms works as a Public Defender Attorney 3 for Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. Helena earned $46,627 in 2026.
Public Defender Attorney 4/Public Defender
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Kevin Gall holds the role of Public Defender Attorney 4 at Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. In 2026, their total compensation was $46,549.
Public Defender Attorney 3/Public Defender
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Elizabeth Hardy is a Public Defender Attorney 3 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $45,927.
Public Defender Attorney 3/Public Defender
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Peter Sherwood is a Public Defender Attorney 3 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $45,396.
Public Defender Attorney/Public Defender
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Nicholas Barons is a Public Defender Attorney at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2023 total compensation came to $45,335.
Public Defender Attorney 3/Public Defender
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Christopher Connell holds the role of Public Defender Attorney 3 at Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. In 2026, their total compensation was $45,296.
Public Defender Attorney 3/Public Defender
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Walter Hoff is a Public Defender Attorney 3 at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2026 total compensation came to $45,246.
Public Defender Attorney 2/Public Defender
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Sara Wheeler works as a Public Defender Attorney 2 for Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. Sara earned $45,204 in 2026.
Public Defender Attorney 2/Public Defender
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Brian Williams works as a Public Defender Attorney 2 for Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. Brian earned $45,106 in 2026.
Public Defender Attorney 3/Public Defender
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Sean Thivener works as a Public Defender Attorney 3 for Public Defender. Their status is full-time permanent. Sean earned $45,096 in 2026.
Public Defender Attorney 3/Public Defender
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At Public Defender, Bethany Stewart serves as a Public Defender Attorney 3. They work full-time permanent. Their 2026 pay totaled $44,631.
Public Defender Social Worker/Public Defender
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Le Asia Huddleston-Partlow is a Public Defender Social Worker at Public Defender. They work full-time permanent. 2023 total compensation came to $44,551.