Baltimores Natasha Dartigue named Marylands next public defender

Baltimore’s Natasha Dartigue will become the next top public defender for Maryland after the agency’s Board of Trustees appointed her to lead the office.

Dartigue, who is currently the acting district public defender for Baltimore, has been a public defender in Maryland for more than 25 years. She graduated from Howard University’s law school, is a first generation American and the daughter of Haitian immigrants.

In a statement, Dartigue pledged to create “meaningful criminal justice reform” in her role as chief public defender for the state.

“I am honored to lead the Office of the Public Defender in the next chapter of its history," she said in the statement. “Our core staff and attorneys embody the passion, dedication, expertise, and endurance required to provide superior representation for our clients. I am committed to furthering these efforts as we continue to navigate emerging and longstanding challenges and recognize our successes.”

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Dartigue will oversee a network of county public defender offices across the state. She was selected by the Office of the Public Defender’s trustees, an advisory board appointed by the Maryland governor that interviews and reviews job applicants. Dartigue’s six-year term begins July 1, when current Maryland public defender Paul DeWolfe retires.

T. Wray McCurdy, a criminal defense attorney and chair of the board of trustees, said in a statement that Dartigue had demonstrated leadership in the courtroom and community and has a “combination of impressive qualifications, vision and experience.”

Dartigue clerked for Judge Roger W. Brown in Baltimore City Circuit Court before joining the Office of the Public Defender in 1996. Throughout her career, she represented people in juvenile, district and circuit court in Baltimore city then went on to serve as a felony trial supervisor and deputy district public defender.

She has won numerous awards for her work and public service and serves on a number of boards and associations.

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