New Jersey / Office of the Public Defender

Agency file

Office of the Public Defender

Source file: New Jersey — YourMoney State Payroll / ingested Jun 18, 2026

The Office of the Public Defender handles legal functions of government — prosecution, legal advice, and representing the state in court.

In 2024, this agency had 672 employees with median total compensation of $86,980; the highest distinct record was $185,424.

Year: 2024
Total payroll: $60.2M
Employees: 672
Median total: $86,980
Highest record: $185,424

What the records show

Compensation analytics

These summaries compare pay within the agency before listing individual records.

Salary distribution

$223$162,947+

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

How 2024 total compensation is spread across the 672 employees. Each bar is a pay range; taller bars mean more people earn in that range. The amber line marks the median ($86,980) — half earn less, half more. The far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Average pay composition

Base — $87,991 (98%)
Overtime — $40 (0%)
Other — $1,486 (2%)
Benefits — $0 (0%)

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.

Pay percentiles

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$45,849

$62,261

$86,980

$115,845

$136,555

The pay ladder for this department. Someone at the 90th percentile earns $136,555 — more than 90% of the department; the 10th percentile earns $45,849. The shaded band is the middle half of employees (25th–75th percentile).

Largest job titles

Assistant Deputy Public Defender 2

175 · $109,634

Invstgr 1 Publ Defndr

108 · $74,815

Assistant Deputy Public Defender 3

67 · $138,910

Assistant Deputy Public Defender 1

56 · $85,071

Legal Secretary 2

56 · $47,864

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

Year over year

How this department's total payroll, headcount, and median pay changed across the 2 published years.

Year	Total payroll	Employees	Median pay
2023	$57.6M —	720 —	$79,789 —
2024	$60.2M ▲ 4.5%	672 ▼ 6.7%	$86,980 ▲ 9.0%

Record list

Employees

Page 1

Nicole Gaspar

Invstgr 1 Publ Defndr/Office of the Public Defender

2023 total comp

$26,034

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $22,875
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $3,159
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $26,034
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: null

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2023
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Gaspar, Nicole
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 157502
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $66,338
Year-to-Date Earnings: $26,034

Nicole Gaspar holds the role of Invstgr 1 Publ Defndr at Office of the Public Defender within Office of the Public Defender. Their hire date on record is null. In 2023, their total compensation was $26,034. Their bargaining unit is Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P.

Patrick Simmons

Assistant Deputy Public Defender 1/Office of the Public Defender

2023 total comp

$25,462

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $17,199
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $8,263
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $25,462
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: null

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2023
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Simmons, Patrick
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 167806
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $92,384
Year-to-Date Earnings: $25,462

Patrick Simmons works as a Assistant Deputy Public Defender 1 for Office of the Public Defender within Office of the Public Defender. Their hire date on record is null. Patrick earned $25,462 in 2023. Union affiliation: Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P.

Ashley Badiane

Invstgr 1 Publ Defndr/Office of the Public Defender

2023 total comp

$24,425

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $23,105
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,320
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $24,425
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: null

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2023
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Badiane, Ashley
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 113972
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $83,218
Year-to-Date Earnings: $24,425

Ashley Badiane works as a Invstgr 1 Publ Defndr for Office of the Public Defender within Office of the Public Defender. Their hire date on record is null. Ashley earned $24,425 in 2023. Their bargaining unit is Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P.

Maria Flinn

Secretary Assistant 3/Office of the Public Defender

2024 total comp

$24,106

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $16,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $7,242
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $24,106
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Administrative and Clerical Services (Cwa) - Unit A
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: null

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Flinn, Maria
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 14465
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $81,197
Year-to-Date Earnings: $24,106

At Office of the Public Defender, Maria Flinn serves as a Secretary Assistant 3 within Office of the Public Defender. Records show a hire date of null. Their 2024 pay totaled $24,106. They are represented by Administrative and Clerical Services (Cwa) - Unit A.

Debbie Calderon

Invstgr Apprntc Publ Defndr/Office of the Public Defender

2024 total comp

$23,677

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $22,174
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,503
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $23,677
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Calderon, Debbie J
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 171650
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $54,907
Year-to-Date Earnings: $23,677

Debbie Calderon is a Invstgr Apprntc Publ Defndr at Office of the Public Defender within Office of the Public Defender. Records show a hire date of null. 2024 total compensation came to $23,677. Their bargaining unit is Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P.

Ravi Shah

Assistant Deputy Public Defender 2/Office of the Public Defender

2023 total comp

$23,428

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $15,896
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $7,532
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $23,428
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: null

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2023
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Shah, Ravi
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 167569
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $95,890
Year-to-Date Earnings: $23,428

At Office of the Public Defender, Ravi Shah serves as a Assistant Deputy Public Defender 2 within Office of the Public Defender. Records show a hire date of null. Their 2023 pay totaled $23,428. Their bargaining unit is Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P.

Cla Villalba-Ramirez

Senior Clerk Typist/Office of the Public Defender

2023 total comp

$22,979

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $22,979
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $22,979
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Administrative and Clerical Services (Cwa) - Unit A
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: null

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2023
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Villalba-Ramirez, Cla
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 146605
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $42,840
Year-to-Date Earnings: $22,979

Cla Villalba-Ramirez holds the role of Senior Clerk Typist at Office of the Public Defender within Office of the Public Defender. Their hire date on record is null. In 2023, their total compensation was $22,979. They are represented by Administrative and Clerical Services (Cwa) - Unit A.

Toni Davis

Legal Secretary 2/Office of the Public Defender

2024 total comp

$22,682

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $12,260
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $10,421
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $22,682
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Administrative and Clerical Services (Cwa) - Unit A
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Davis, Toni R
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 108575
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $59,030
Year-to-Date Earnings: $22,682

Toni Davis holds the role of Legal Secretary 2 at Office of the Public Defender within Office of the Public Defender. Their hire date on record is null. In 2024, their total compensation was $22,682. They are represented by Administrative and Clerical Services (Cwa) - Unit A.