The Bay County Department of the Public Defender provides representation to criminal defendants who cannot afford an attorney. The attorneys in the Department of the Public Defender are employed by Bay County but work for the benefit of their clients. In Bay County, the Department of the Public Defender is under the County Executive Administration per Act 139 of 1973.
The Department of Public Defender is staffed by attorneys: Director Mike Huber and Assistant Public Defenders Aaron Hetherington, Julia Caprathe, and Andrew Bonnell.