Meet the Public Defender

Molly attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, receiving a degree in Linguistics with honors in 1986.  While there she studied abroad in Mexico City, Mexico.  She graduated from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1990, where she was a member of the Law Review and participated in the criminal law clinic.  She began working at the Public Defender’s Office in the misdemeanor unit, and worked in virtually every position in the office thereafter, including the juvenile unit, the felony trial team, research and homicides.  She supervised the juvenile and felony trial teams and was appointed Assistant Public Defender by Mary Greenwood. Upon Mary’s appointment to the Santa Clara County bench, she was selected to be the Acting Public Defender in July 2012.  The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors appointed Molly to the Public Defender position on March 25, 2013.   Since becoming Public Defender, she has worked to implement holistic defense, adding a social worker unit, two full time immigration attorneys, community outreach attorneys, a Racial Justice Act attorney, and a post-conviction unit.  

Molly is the Chief Defender for the Public Defender and Alternate Defender offices, overseeing a staff of 303, and a $87 million dollar budget.  The office represents clients charged with criminal offenses, Probate and LPS matters, as well as juveniles charged with criminal conduct in juvenile justice court.  The office handles approximately 30,000 cases annually. 

Molly is a member of the Board of the California Public Defenders Association and is very involved in juvenile justice policy issues.   She has a daughter and younger son.  She enjoys tennis, cooking, biking and swimming.