Supervisors Name New Chief Public Defender

Late Tuesday evening, the county supervisors unanimously appointed Tracy Macuga as the new chief public defender. Most recently the No. 2 public defender in Riverside County — overseeing death penalty and sex crimes cases — Macuga also served in San Diego’s office. Before that she was a private defense attorney. In 24 years, Macuga has worked on more than 100 felony cases.

“It continues to be the privilege of my life to represent individuals with very few resources facing criminal prosecution and to stand shoulder to shoulder with the tireless advocates who serve and protect our clients by vigorous and excellent representation,” she said in a statement.

Macuga graduated from California Western School of Law in San Diego, and was admitted to the state bar in 1992. Last November, Governor Jerry Brown named the then-public defender Raimundo J. Montes De Oca a Superior Court judge. Kenneth Clayman has been serving in the interim. Macuga starts on November 7.