The Alameda County Board of Supervisors has announced its unanimous appointment of Brendon Woods as Alameda County public defender.

Woods replaces Diane Bellas, who served as public defender for 12 years before retiring in March.  Woods has worked with the Alameda County Public Defender’s office since 1996.

“I am honored and privileged to be the next public defender of Alameda County,’’ Woods told the Board of Supervisors after his appointment was announced.  “I am excited to lead the amazing group of lawyers, investigators and support staff that work in our office and I am deeply, deeply committed to ensuring that the indigent clients of Alameda County receive excellent representation.”

The public defender is the primary defense attorney for those who cannot afford a lawyer and  provides competent and effective legal defense for all people within the county who require legal counsel at public expense.

The Alameda County public defender’s office has 104 attorneys and deals with 4,500 cases each month. It is the second oldest public defender office in the United States.

In 1927 Earl Warren, then the Alameda County District Attorney, successfully campaigned to have the public defender included in the new county charter.  Warren went on to be the attorney general and governor of California, and Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court.

Woods has a law degree from the University of San Francisco Law School and a bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Barbara.