Florida / Justice Administrative Commission / Assistant Public Defender

Job-title file

Assistant Public Defender

Carry out the duties of this position in support of the agency's public mission.

1,332 employees hold this title in Justice Administrative Commission. Median total compensation for the role is $92,963, above the department median of $69,168.

Employees: 1,332
Total payroll: $128M
Role median: $92,963
Agency median: $69,168
Comparison: Above

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

$23,342$150,168+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How total compensation varies among the 1,332 people in this role. Even for one job title, pay differs with seniority, step, overtime, and tenure. Each bar is a pay range; the far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Compared with the local labor market

Assistant Public Defender pay vs. Florida

Across all employers in Florida, the median wage for Lawyers — about 55,210 people — is $133,180. Justice Administrative Commission pays a median base salary of $92,963 for this role, 30% below that figure — about the 21st percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Justice Administrative Commission sits in the local pay range

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$75,530

$99,720

$133,180

$196,100

$301,050

Justice Administrative Commission median · $92,963

The bar is the range of annual wages for Lawyers across every employer in Florida, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Justice Administrative Commission’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.

And across the country

Nationwide, the median wage for Lawyers — about 754,500 people — is $159,670. Justice Administrative Commission’s median base salary is 42% below that national figure, about the 19th percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$78,360

$102,990

$159,670

$221,370

$351,600

Justice Administrative Commission median · $92,963

Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the Florida range relative to the national one.

Computed over the 1,330 of 1,332 people in this role paid at least $25,000in base salary. The rest are part-year or part-time records, whose actual pay isn’t comparable to a full-time annual wage.

Median total compensation for this role at Justice Administrative Commission is $92,963, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.

Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.

Compare jurisdictions

Assistant Public Defender beyond Florida

This role is reported in 2 jurisdictions. In Florida, the median of $92,963 ranks #1 of 2. See Assistant Public Defender across all of Florida →

Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role

Rhode Island

$36,211 · 20

Median total compensation for comparable Assistant Public Defenderroles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 1

John Selden

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$131,070

Sub-department: Public Defender Appellate
Base pay: $131,070
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $131,070
Hire date: 1992-09-14
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 070344

At Justice Administrative Commission, John Selden serves as a Assistant Public Defender within Public Defender Appellate. They have served since 1992 (about 34 years), working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $131,070.

Alesha Smith

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$130,804

Sub-department: 9Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $130,804
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $130,804
Hire date: 2013-09-30
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 003716

Alesha Smith is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 9Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2013, about 13 years, working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $130,804.

Susan Zerbe

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$130,620

Sub-department: 4Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $130,620
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $130,620
Hire date: 2006-09-01
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: F

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 008734

Susan Zerbe works as a Assistant Public Defender for Justice Administrative Commission within 4Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2006, they have about 20 years of service as a salaried employee. Susan earned $130,620 in 2026.

Justin Ward

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$130,597

Sub-department: Public Defender Appellate
Base pay: $130,597
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $130,597
Hire date: 2004-09-20
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 070867

At Justice Administrative Commission, Justin Ward serves as a Assistant Public Defender within Public Defender Appellate. They have served since 2004 (about 22 years), working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $130,597.

Trisha Laissle

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$130,503

Sub-department: 7Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $130,503
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $130,503
Hire date: 2010-10-01
Employment type: Salaried

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 008283

Trisha Laissle works as a Assistant Public Defender for Justice Administrative Commission within 7Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2010, they have about 16 years of service as a salaried employee. Trisha earned $130,503 in 2026.

Elsa Fernandez

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$130,348

Sub-department: 11Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $130,348
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $130,348
Hire date: 2010-09-07
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 008819

Elsa Fernandez is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 11Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2010, they have about 16 years of service, working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $130,348.

Lauren Nayrouz

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$130,217

Sub-department: 13Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $130,217
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $130,217
Hire date: 2011-01-03
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 002121

Lauren Nayrouz is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 13Th Judicial Circuit. They have served since 2011 (about 15 years), working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $130,217.

Gabriel Ermine

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$130,174

Sub-department: 17Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $130,174
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $130,174
Hire date: 2005-08-15
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: T

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 004907

At Justice Administrative Commission, Gabriel Ermine serves as a Assistant Public Defender within 17Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2005, about 21 years, working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $130,174.

Audra Cohen

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$129,678

Sub-department: 11Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $129,678
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $129,678
Hire date: 2001-08-24
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 001142

Audra Cohen is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 11Th Judicial Circuit. They have served since 2001 (about 25 years), working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $129,678.

Stephan Krejci

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$129,669

Sub-department: 9Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $129,669
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $129,669
Hire date: 2005-12-16
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 012189

Stephan Krejci is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 9Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2005, they have about 21 years of service, working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $129,669.

Charis Agard

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$129,669

Sub-department: 9Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $129,669
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $129,669
Hire date: 2015-09-28
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: D

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 015867

At Justice Administrative Commission, Charis Agard serves as a Assistant Public Defender within 9Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2015, about 11 years, working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $129,669.

George Burden

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$129,642

Sub-department: Public Defender Appellate
Base pay: $129,642
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $129,642
Hire date: 1989-09-18
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: D

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 079781

George Burden is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within Public Defender Appellate. Hired in 1989, they have about 37 years of service, working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $129,642.

Craig Atack

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$129,452

Sub-department: 7Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $129,452
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $129,452
Hire date: 2006-05-01
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 001964

Craig Atack is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 7Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2006, about 20 years, working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $129,452.

Courtney Davison

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$129,452

Sub-department: 7Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $129,452
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $129,452
Hire date: 2013-07-15
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 001966

Courtney Davison holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 7Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2013, they have about 13 years of service as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $129,452.

Patric Jones

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$129,232

Sub-department: 13Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $129,232
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $129,232
Hire date: 2018-06-21
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 009112

Patric Jones is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 13Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2018, they have about 8 years of service, working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $129,232.

Kristina Diaz

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$127,247

Sub-department: 11Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $127,247
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $127,247
Hire date: 2004-10-18
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: G

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 012643

At Justice Administrative Commission, Kristina Diaz serves as a Assistant Public Defender within 11Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2004, they have about 22 years of service, working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $127,247.

Travis Atkinson

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$126,500

Sub-department: 20Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $126,500
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $126,500
Hire date: 2009-02-01
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 010419

At Justice Administrative Commission, Travis Atkinson serves as a Assistant Public Defender within 20Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2009, about 17 years, working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $126,500.

James Rubin

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$126,435

Sub-department: 17Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $126,435
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $126,435
Hire date: 2011-06-13
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: K

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 008520

At Justice Administrative Commission, James Rubin serves as a Assistant Public Defender within 17Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2011, they have about 15 years of service, working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $126,435.

Tara Obrien

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$126,434

Sub-department: 11Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $126,434
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $126,434
Hire date: 2003-11-20
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 002046

Tara Obrien holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 11Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2003, about 23 years as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $126,434.

Challae Porter-Forbes

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$126,366

Sub-department: 17Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $126,366
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $126,366
Hire date: 2011-05-03
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: T

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 010503

Challae Porter-Forbes holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 17Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2011, they have about 15 years of service as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $126,366.

Robert Denny

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$126,060

Sub-department: 20Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $126,060
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $126,060
Hire date: 2005-10-03
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 016145

Robert Denny works as a Assistant Public Defender for Justice Administrative Commission within 20Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2005, about 21 years as a salaried employee. Robert earned $126,060 in 2026.

Benjamin Flieger

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$126,040

Sub-department: 9Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $126,040
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $126,040
Hire date: 2011-01-14
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 000596

Benjamin Flieger works as a Assistant Public Defender for Justice Administrative Commission within 9Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2011, about 15 years as a salaried employee. Benjamin earned $126,040 in 2026.

Andrew Clark

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$125,266

Sub-department: 9Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $125,266
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $125,266
Hire date: 2006-08-01
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: M.

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 010501

At Justice Administrative Commission, Andrew Clark serves as a Assistant Public Defender within 9Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2006, about 20 years, working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $125,266.

Steven Parton

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$125,095

Sub-department: 9Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $125,095
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $125,095
Hire date: 2011-08-15
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 014337

Steven Parton holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 9Th Judicial Circuit. They have served since 2011 (about 15 years) as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $125,095.

Amy Weber

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$125,012

Sub-department: Public Defender Appellate
Base pay: $125,012
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $125,012
Hire date: 2007-06-01
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 079374

Amy Weber holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within Public Defender Appellate. Their tenure dates to 2007, about 19 years as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $125,012.

Brian Smith

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$125,000

Sub-department: 7Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $125,000
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $125,000
Hire date: 2014-09-02
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: F

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 004423

Brian Smith works as a Assistant Public Defender for Justice Administrative Commission within 7Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2014, they have about 12 years of service as a salaried employee. Brian earned $125,000 in 2026.

Michael Chauvin

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$124,964

Sub-department: 18Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $124,964
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $124,964
Hire date: 1996-06-01
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: P

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 010681

Michael Chauvin is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 18Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 1996, they have about 30 years of service, working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $124,964.

Brittany Wing

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$124,952

Sub-department: 9Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $124,952
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $124,952
Hire date: 2014-04-17
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: N

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 002250

At Justice Administrative Commission, Brittany Wing serves as a Assistant Public Defender within 9Th Judicial Circuit. They have served since 2014 (about 12 years), working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $124,952.

Sara Goodin

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$124,952

Sub-department: 9Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $124,952
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $124,952
Hire date: 2013-10-20
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 003717

Sara Goodin holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 9Th Judicial Circuit. They have served since 2013 (about 13 years) as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $124,952.

Alex Johnson

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$124,952

Sub-department: 9Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $124,952
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $124,952
Hire date: 2017-10-02
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 013311

Alex Johnson works as a Assistant Public Defender for Justice Administrative Commission within 9Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2017, they have about 9 years of service as a salaried employee. Alex earned $124,952 in 2026.