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

Susan Lerner

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$137,481

Sub-department: Public Defender Appellate
Base pay: $137,481
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $137,481
Hire date: 2013-03-04
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: S

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 072048

Susan Lerner is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within Public Defender Appellate. Hired in 2013, they have about 13 years of service, working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $137,481.

Joseph Walsh

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$137,062

Sub-department: Public Defender Appellate
Base pay: $137,062
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $137,062
Hire date: 2005-06-14
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: P

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 077973

At Justice Administrative Commission, Joseph Walsh serves as a Assistant Public Defender within Public Defender Appellate. They have served since 2005 (about 21 years), working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $137,062.

Brian Mccormack

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$136,340

Sub-department: 11Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $136,340
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $136,340
Hire date: 2007-04-16
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 002033

Brian Mccormack is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 11Th Judicial Circuit. They have served since 2007 (about 19 years), working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $136,340.

Tony Perkins Jr

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$136,340

Sub-department: 11Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $136,340
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $136,340
Hire date: 2011-05-23
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 008820

Tony Perkins Jr holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 11Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2011, they have about 15 years of service as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $136,340.

Jennifer Rodrigue

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$136,340

Sub-department: 11Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $136,340
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $136,340
Hire date: 2010-09-07
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 015987

Jennifer Rodrigue holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 11Th Judicial Circuit. They have served since 2010 (about 16 years) as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $136,340.

Claudia Carrazana Lavastida

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$136,340

Sub-department: 11Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $136,340
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $136,340
Hire date: 2013-08-05
Employment type: Salaried

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 013200

Claudia Carrazana Lavastida holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 11Th Judicial Circuit. They have served since 2013 (about 13 years) as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $136,340.

Molena Mompoint

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$136,240

Sub-department: 11Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $136,240
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $136,240
Hire date: 2008-05-30
Employment type: Salaried

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 009640

Molena Mompoint is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 11Th Judicial Circuit. They have served since 2008 (about 18 years), working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $136,240.

Mara Apostol

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$136,240

Sub-department: 11Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $136,240
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $136,240
Hire date: 2014-08-04
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 012144

Mara Apostol works as a Assistant Public Defender for Justice Administrative Commission within 11Th Judicial Circuit. They have served since 2014 (about 12 years) as a salaried employee. Mara earned $136,240 in 2026.

Toby Oonk

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$135,944

Sub-department: 20Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $135,944
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $135,944
Hire date: 2009-12-01
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 014381

Toby Oonk is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 20Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2009, about 17 years, working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $135,944.

Schnelle Tonge

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$135,843

Sub-department: Public Defender Appellate
Base pay: $135,843
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $135,843
Hire date: 2006-08-07
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: K

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 076714

Schnelle Tonge holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within Public Defender Appellate. They have served since 2006 (about 20 years) as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $135,843.

Aileen Hernandez

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$135,340

Sub-department: 11Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $135,340
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $135,340
Hire date: 2010-08-02
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: P

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 009637

At Justice Administrative Commission, Aileen Hernandez serves as a Assistant Public Defender within 11Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2010, they have about 16 years of service, working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $135,340.

Penny Kim

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$135,035

Sub-department: 11Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $135,035
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $135,035
Hire date: 2004-07-01
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 001427

At Justice Administrative Commission, Penny Kim 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 $135,035.

Robert StephensMay be multiple

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$134,934

Sub-department: 13Th Judicial Circuit
Hire date: 2013-04-01
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: Sean

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 006767

Payroll for Robert Stephens (Assistant Public Defender, Justice Administrative Commission) may cover more than one person; together they account for $134,934 in 2026.

Patrick Hood

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$134,934

Sub-department: 13Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $134,934
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $134,934
Hire date: 2015-11-02
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 008884

At Justice Administrative Commission, Patrick Hood serves as a Assistant Public Defender within 13Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2015, about 11 years, working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $134,934.

Gabrielle Biggs

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$134,934

Sub-department: 13Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $134,934
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $134,934
Hire date: 2013-04-01
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 006763

Gabrielle Biggs holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 13Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2013, they have about 13 years of service as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $134,934.

Maegan Young

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$134,904

Sub-department: Public Defender Appellate
Base pay: $134,904
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $134,904
Hire date: 2005-08-08
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: Y

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 078158

At Justice Administrative Commission, Maegan Young serves as a Assistant Public Defender within Public Defender Appellate. They have served since 2005 (about 21 years), working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $134,904.

Thejuana Gordon

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$134,060

Sub-department: 11Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $134,060
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $134,060
Hire date: 1997-08-25
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 003539

At Justice Administrative Commission, Thejuana Gordon serves as a Assistant Public Defender within 11Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 1997, about 29 years, working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $134,060.

Allison Hughes

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$133,844

Sub-department: 7Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $133,844
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $133,844
Hire date: 2009-03-09
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 015827

At Justice Administrative Commission, Allison Hughes serves as a Assistant Public Defender within 7Th Judicial Circuit. They have served since 2009 (about 17 years), working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $133,844.

Phyllis Cook

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$133,103

Sub-department: 17Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $133,103
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $133,103
Hire date: 2005-11-28
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: D

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 008949

Phyllis Cook is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 17Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2005, they have about 21 years of service, working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $133,103.

Rexford Darrow Ii

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$133,004

Sub-department: 20Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $133,004
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $133,004
Hire date: 2014-08-04
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: G

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 005010

Rexford Darrow Ii holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 20Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2014, about 12 years as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $133,004.

Sasha Pernick

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$132,754

Sub-department: 11Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $132,754
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $132,754
Hire date: 2011-08-08
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 013177

Sasha Pernick works as a Assistant Public Defender for Justice Administrative Commission within 11Th Judicial Circuit. They have served since 2011 (about 15 years) as a salaried employee. Sasha earned $132,754 in 2026.

Andrew Parnell

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$132,720

Sub-department: 9Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $132,720
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $132,720
Hire date: 2012-10-01
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 015127

Andrew Parnell is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 9Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2012, they have about 14 years of service, working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $132,720.

Jonathan Lee

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$132,657

Sub-department: 13Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $132,657
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $132,657
Hire date: 2018-06-04
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: G

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 010101

Jonathan Lee holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 13Th Judicial Circuit. They have served since 2018 (about 8 years) as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $132,657.

Alan Sandler

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$132,657

Sub-department: 13Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $132,657
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $132,657
Hire date: 2025-01-07
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 004812

At Justice Administrative Commission, Alan Sandler serves as a Assistant Public Defender within 13Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2025, about a year, working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $132,657.

Nicole Engebretsen

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$132,657

Sub-department: 13Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $132,657
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $132,657
Hire date: 2004-08-13
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 011288

Nicole Engebretsen works as a Assistant Public Defender for Justice Administrative Commission within 13Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2004, they have about 22 years of service as a salaried employee. Nicole earned $132,657 in 2026.

Jason Back

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$132,657

Sub-department: 13Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $132,657
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $132,657
Hire date: 2021-04-26
Employment type: Salaried

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 011838

Jason Back holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 13Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2021, they have about 5 years of service as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $132,657.

Carlye Owens

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$132,657

Sub-department: 13Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $132,657
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $132,657
Hire date: 2021-08-02
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 012384

Carlye Owens is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 13Th Judicial Circuit. Hired in 2021, they have about 5 years of service, working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $132,657.

Danielle Flipse

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$132,600

Sub-department: 9Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $132,600
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $132,600
Hire date: 2011-02-28
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: N

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 013305

Danielle Flipse works as a Assistant Public Defender for Justice Administrative Commission within 9Th Judicial Circuit. They have served since 2011 (about 15 years) as a salaried employee. Danielle earned $132,600 in 2026.

Julia Seifer-Smith

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$132,376

Sub-department: 6Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $132,376
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $132,376
Hire date: 2010-09-07
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 014464

Julia Seifer-Smith works as a Assistant Public Defender for Justice Administrative Commission within 6Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2010, about 16 years as a salaried employee. Julia earned $132,376 in 2026.

Elizabeth Bourdon

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$132,052

Sub-department: 9Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $132,052
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $132,052
Hire date: 2005-02-07
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 014614

Elizabeth Bourdon 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 $132,052.

Tamara Curtis

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$132,034

Sub-department: 17Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $132,034
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $132,034
Hire date: 2004-07-27
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 009814

Tamara Curtis is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 17Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2004, about 22 years, working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $132,034.

Jay Brizel

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$131,641

Sub-department: 20Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $131,641
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $131,641
Hire date: 2016-10-04
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 015301

At Justice Administrative Commission, Jay Brizel serves as a Assistant Public Defender within 20Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2016, about 10 years, working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $131,641.

Shane Manship

Assistant Public Defender/Justice Administrative Commission

2026 total comp

$131,382

Sub-department: 19Th Judicial Circuit
Base pay: $131,382
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $131,382
Hire date: 2008-04-01
Employment type: Salaried

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 5901
Position Number: 015064

Shane Manship is a Assistant Public Defender at Justice Administrative Commission within 19Th Judicial Circuit. Their tenure dates to 2008, about 18 years, working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $131,382.