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

Jessica Spencer

Assistant Deputy Public Defender 2/Office of the Public Defender

2023 total comp

$33,450

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $31,141
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $2,310
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $33,450
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: Spencer, Jessica
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 143163
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $104,202
Year-to-Date Earnings: $33,450

Jessica Spencer is a Assistant Deputy Public Defender 2 at Office of the Public Defender within Office of the Public Defender. Records show a hire date of null. 2023 total compensation came to $33,450. Union affiliation: Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P.

Elena Chaves-Murillo

Clerk Typist/Office of the Public Defender

2024 total comp

$32,265

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $31,851
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $413
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $32,265
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: Chaves-Murillo, Elena
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 133901
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $39,938
Year-to-Date Earnings: $32,265

Elena Chaves-Murillo works as a Clerk Typist for Office of the Public Defender within Office of the Public Defender. Their hire date on record is null. Elena earned $32,265 in 2024. Union affiliation: Administrative and Clerical Services (Cwa) - Unit A.

Lydia Perez

Secretary/Office of the Public Defender

2024 total comp

$31,286

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $12,532
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $18,753
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $31,286
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Administrative and Clerical Services (Cwa) - Unit A
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Perez, Lydia A
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 10100
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $98,738
Year-to-Date Earnings: $31,286

At Office of the Public Defender, Lydia Perez serves as a Secretary within Office of the Public Defender. Records show a hire date of null. Their 2024 pay totaled $31,286. Their bargaining unit is Administrative and Clerical Services (Cwa) - Unit A.

Claude Heffron

Dpty Publ Defndr 2/Office of the Public Defender

2024 total comp

$31,140

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $31,140
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $31,140
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Managerial (Represented-Ibew)
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: null

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Heffron, Claude
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 152432
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $135,457
Year-to-Date Earnings: $31,140

Claude Heffron works as a Dpty Publ Defndr 2 for Office of the Public Defender within Office of the Public Defender. Their hire date on record is null. Claude earned $31,140 in 2024. Their bargaining unit is Managerial (Represented-Ibew).

Danielle Ciniello

Assistant Deputy Public Defender 1/Office of the Public Defender

2024 total comp

$30,745

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $28,988
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,757
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $30,745
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, 2024
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Ciniello, Danielle
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 172134
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $82,130
Year-to-Date Earnings: $30,745

Danielle Ciniello holds the role of Assistant Deputy Public Defender 1 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 $30,745. Union affiliation: Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P.

Armand Basualdo

Invstgr Apprntc Publ Defndr/Office of the Public Defender

2024 total comp

$30,278

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $30,278
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $30,278
Hire date: null
Union / bargaining unit: Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P
Pay basis: Annual
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

As-of Date: Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Basualdo, Armand A
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 125199
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $56,829
Year-to-Date Earnings: $30,278

Armand Basualdo holds the role of Invstgr Apprntc Publ Defndr 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 $30,278. They are represented by Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P.

Brian Wood

Assistant Deputy Public Defender 2/Office of the Public Defender

2024 total comp

$27,699

Sub-department: Office of the Public Defender
Base pay: $16,255
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $11,444
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $27,699
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, 2024
Calendar Quarter: 4
Full Name: Wood, Brian
Paid Section Description: null
Payroll ID: 111007
Record Type: Master
Salary Hourly Rate: $120,752
Year-to-Date Earnings: $27,699

At Office of the Public Defender, Brian Wood serves as a Assistant Deputy Public Defender 2 within Office of the Public Defender. Records show a hire date of null. Their 2024 pay totaled $27,699. Union affiliation: Professional Unit (Cwa) - Unit P.