title
Adopt and present a resolution and plaque of appreciation honoring Lesli Caldwell, Public Defender, upon her retirement from the Solano County Public Defender's Office with 38 years of public service to two California counties, including 12 years of dedicated service to the Solano County Public Defender's Office (Supervisor Thomson)
body
Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The County Administrator recommends that the Board of Supervisors adopt and present a resolution and plaque of appreciation honoring Lesli M. Caldwell, Public Defender, upon her retirement from the Solano County Public Defender's Office with 38 years of public service in two California counties, including 12 years of dedicated service to the Solano County Public Defender's Office.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Lesli M. Caldwell grew up in the Bay Area and attended the University of California at Berkeley, where she received her B.A. degree in 1976, and received her law degree from Santa Clara University in 1979.
In 1980, Ms. Caldwell began her public service career with the Contra Costa County Public Defender's Office as a trial attorney. She gained a lot of valuable experience during this time, representing every type of case coming into the office, from misdemeanors to capital murder. Ms. Caldwell developed a specialization in gang cases and mental health issue cases. During her time with Contra Costa County, Ms. Caldwell was actively involved in mentoring and training less experienced attorneys.
In 2007, Ms. Caldwell retired from the Contra Costa Public Defender and joined the Solano County Public Defender as Chief Deputy, and in 2010, she was appointed by the Board to lead the department as the Solano County Public Defender.
As the Solano County Public Defender, Ms. Caldwell has focused on hiring passionate and committed attorneys who share her dedication for advocating for the rights of the poor wh...
Click here for full text