Rhode Island / 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 109 employees with median total compensation of $23,153; the highest distinct record was $63,069.
What the records show
These summaries compare pay within the agency before listing individual records.
How 2026 total compensation is spread across the 109 employees. Each bar is a pay range; taller bars mean more people earn in that range. The amber line marks the median ($23,153) — 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 $37,412 — more than 90% of the department; the 10th percentile earns $11,960. 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 3 published years.
| Year | Total payroll | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8.3M — | 123 — | $67,654 — |
| 2025 | $8.7M ▲ 4.8% | 118 ▼ 4.1% | $77,322 ▲ 14.3% |
| 2026 | $2.7M ▼ 69.1% | 109 ▼ 7.6% | $23,153 ▼ 70.1% |
Compare
Departments elsewhere with the most similar mix of roles — a proxy for the same kind of agency, matched by workforce composition rather than name. Pay is not cost-of-living adjusted.
Record list
Page 1
Assistant Public Defender I/Public Defender
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Piper Pehrson is a Assistant Public Defender I at Public Defender. 2026 total compensation came to $34,628.
Assistant Public Defender/Public Defender
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Lucy Kissel is a Assistant Public Defender at Public Defender. 2026 total compensation came to $34,046.
Assistant Public Defender I/Public Defender
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At Public Defender, Joshua Soares serves as a Assistant Public Defender I. Their 2026 pay totaled $33,998.
Assistant Public Defender I/Public Defender
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At Public Defender, Colin Roy serves as a Assistant Public Defender I. Their 2026 pay totaled $33,943.
Assistant Public Defender/Public Defender
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Martine Casey holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defender. In 2026, their total compensation was $33,021.
Administrative Secretary/Public Defender
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At Public Defender, Rhiannon Wilbur serves as a Administrative Secretary. Their 2024 pay totaled $32,897.
Assist Public Defender II/Public Defender
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Rebecca Tougas holds the role of Assist Public Defender II at Public Defender. In 2026, their total compensation was $32,850.
Assist Public Defender II/Public Defender
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Noelle Soares is a Assist Public Defender II at Public Defender. 2026 total compensation came to $32,750.
Assist Public Defender II/Public Defender
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Adam Northup holds the role of Assist Public Defender II at Public Defender. In 2026, their total compensation was $31,953.
Assistant Public Defender I/Public Defender
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Sean Powers is a Assistant Public Defender I at Public Defender. 2026 total compensation came to $31,887.
Assistant Public Defender I/Public Defender
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At Public Defender, Michael Ewart serves as a Assistant Public Defender I. Their 2026 pay totaled $31,770.
Assistant Public Defender/Public Defender
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Kelsey Mcdonald is a Assistant Public Defender at Public Defender. 2026 total compensation came to $31,638.
Assistant Public Defender/Public Defender
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Emmett Hardiman holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defender. In 2026, their total compensation was $31,638.
Assistant Public Defender/Public Defender
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Kimberly Chiulli is a Assistant Public Defender at Public Defender. 2026 total compensation came to $31,638.
Assistant Public Defender/Public Defender
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Diana Degroof holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defender. In 2026, their total compensation was $31,638.
Assistant Public Defender I/Public Defender
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Chelsea Haggerty works as a Assistant Public Defender I for Public Defender. Chelsea earned $31,318 in 2026.
Assist Public Defender II/Public Defender
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Glen Whitehead holds the role of Assist Public Defender II at Public Defender. In 2026, their total compensation was $31,285.
Director of Public Information/Public Defender
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Daniel Bright holds the role of Director of Public Information at Public Defender. In 2026, their total compensation was $30,891.
Assistant Public Defender/Public Defender
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David Shein holds the role of Assistant Public Defender at Public Defender. In 2026, their total compensation was $30,669.
Staff Attorney II/Public Defender
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Diana Perez holds the role of Staff Attorney II at Public Defender. In 2025, their total compensation was $29,671.
Assistant Public Defender III/Public Defender
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Dana Harrell is a Assistant Public Defender III at Public Defender. 2026 total compensation came to $29,409.
Assist Public Defender II/Public Defender
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Mitchell Graham is a Assist Public Defender II at Public Defender. 2026 total compensation came to $28,731.
Assist Public Defender IV/Public Defender
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Frank Cappuccio holds the role of Assist Public Defender IV at Public Defender. In 2024, their total compensation was $27,171.
Executive Assistant/Public Defender
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At Public Defender, Patricia Platt serves as a Executive Assistant. Their 2026 pay totaled $26,827.
Assist Public Defender II/Public Defender
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Samantha Derocha is a Assist Public Defender II at Public Defender. 2026 total compensation came to $25,347.
Staff Attorney II/Public Defender
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Jacob Schubert works as a Staff Attorney II for Public Defender. Jacob earned $25,062 in 2026.
Staff Attorney II/Public Defender
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Keith Mcateer works as a Staff Attorney II for Public Defender. Keith earned $25,062 in 2026.
Staff Attorney II/Public Defender
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Frank Cappuccio works as a Staff Attorney II for Public Defender. Frank earned $24,343 in 2026.
Assist Public Defender II/Public Defender
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At Public Defender, Nicholas Frayn serves as a Assist Public Defender II. Their 2026 pay totaled $24,206.
Staff Attorney II/Public Defender
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Madeline Muzdakis works as a Staff Attorney II for Public Defender. Madeline earned $23,349 in 2026.
Chief Investigator Pub Def/Public Defender
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William Mccoy holds the role of Chief Investigator Pub Def at Public Defender. In 2026, their total compensation was $23,153.
Staff Attorney II/Public Defender
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Richard Tavares Jr holds the role of Staff Attorney II at Public Defender. In 2026, their total compensation was $23,042.
Staff Attorney II/Public Defender
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At Public Defender, Megan Jackson serves as a Staff Attorney II. Their 2026 pay totaled $22,899.
Executive Assistant/Public Defender
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Anne Marie Amaral is a Executive Assistant at Public Defender. 2026 total compensation came to $22,321.
Assistant Public Defender III/Public Defender
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Diana Perez works as a Assistant Public Defender III for Public Defender. Diana earned $20,993 in 2026.
Administrative Support Specialist/Public Defender
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Alice Ribeiro holds the role of Administrative Support Specialist at Public Defender. In 2026, their total compensation was $20,908.
Staff Attorney II/Public Defender
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Diana Arnold works as a Staff Attorney II for Public Defender. Diana earned $20,607 in 2026.
Staff Attorney II/Public Defender
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Marc Popkin is a Staff Attorney II at Public Defender. 2026 total compensation came to $20,594.
Assistant Public Defender III/Public Defender
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At Public Defender, Justin Lisi serves as a Assistant Public Defender III. Their 2025 pay totaled $20,268.
Staff Attorney II/Public Defender
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James Flynn works as a Staff Attorney II for Public Defender. James earned $20,237 in 2026.