Welcome from the Federal Public Defender - Western District of Virginia

The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Virginia is dedicated to the defense of indigent persons charged with federal offenses. The Federal Public Defender is authorized and funded pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act, or CJA, 18 USC § 3006A, et seq. The office of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Virginia includes staffed offices in Roanoke, Charlottesville, and Abingdon.

Mission Statement

Compassion.

Our clients will be heard, respected, and treated in a way that is fair, unburdened by prejudice or bias and promotes their dignity as members of our community. Not only will we fiercely defend our clients, we will do so with compassion, by listening with an open mind and considering the conditions and experiences that have shaped their lives.

Courage.

Our office will zealously and ethically represent the interests of each client. We will protect and defend our clients with the highest level of uncompromised advocacy.

Competency.

Our office is committed to excellence, and our staff will always work to hone our expertise in federal criminal defense by engaging in regular training and serving as a model of effective representation for the indigent accused.

Creativity.

Our office will work creatively to find solutions to obtain justice and spur institutional and systemic reforms for our clients.

Collaboration.

Our office will lead by building relationships with fellow defense lawyers and the community that will promote the fairer administration of justice for all.

Training Opportunities

November 22, 2025, 12:00 to 1:00 – Our judges are imploring the Panel to use our available resources including investigators, experts, mitigation facilitators, etc. Our statistics reflect that the attorneys in our District vastly underutilize these assets. I count myself among them. But that can change! Larry Dash, the Fourth Circuit Budget attorney, will present information about the available resources and how to access them. Please attend. This will be a very informative and helpful session. Kirsten Ayersman will join us as well, as she has recently stepped into the shoes of Tim Blassingame.
February 21, 2025, 12:00 to 1:00 – Nia Vidal will present information about pretrial motions. More details about the program to come as we approach the date.
June 20, 2025, 12:00 to 1:00 – Our Public Defender, Mary Maguire, will discuss mental health issues, mitigation, and sentencing. We all know how important these issues are to our practice.
September 19, 2025, 12:00 to 1:00 – This training session will address post-conviction relief issues. Presenter and additional details to come at a later date.
November 21, 2025, 12:00 to 1:00 – We will examine updates to the Guidelines so this will be an important session to keep us up to date.