Monday: 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Tuesday: 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Wednesday: 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Thursday: 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Saturday: Closed
The Public Defender is appointed by the judge when an individual is not able to afford an attorney (55 ILCS 5/3-4006). A Public Defender should be available to individuals at the time of the first court appearance. The Public Defender provides legal representation in the areas of criminal, misdemeanor, juvenile justice, child protection, paternity, appeals, post-conviction and traffic cases.
Mission
To protect the fundamental rights, liberties and dignity of each person whose case has been entrusted to us by providing the finest legal representation.
Disclaimer
This site is meant to provide information of a general nature which you should verify with an attorney before relying upon it. It does not provide legal advice and it’s not meant to establish and attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice you should ALWAYS contact an attorney.
About Amy P. Campanelli, Cook County Public Defender
Amy P. Campanelli was sworn in as the tenth Public Defender of Cook County on April 1, 2015. Amy’s appointment was the culmination of 27 years of representing the indigent accused. She started as an Assistant Public Defender in November 1987. Initially assigned to the Juvenile Division, after three years Amy moved to the Felony Trial Division, where she remained until 1998. Her caseload included felonies of every stripe, from low level drug cases to capital murder. In 1998, Amy temporarily left the Office to care for her family, but still continued to take criminal cases in private practice. Five years later, she returned in 2003 as an Attorney Supervisor assigned to the Felony Trial Division.
Amy became the Chief of the Bridgeview Courthouse in 2008, then transitioned to become the Capital Case Coordinator for the Office in 2010. While coordinating all death penalty litigation resources in the Office, Amy oversaw a budget of over $2.75 million annually, organized jury focus groups, and spearheaded a two-day capital litigation conference with experts from around the globe. After the death penalty was abolished in Illinois, Amy subsequently served as Deputy Chief of the Homicide Task Force and Deputy Chief of the Felony Trial Division.
In 2012, she was elevated to Deputy Public Defender in charge of all five Suburban districts in Cook County, a position she held until her appointment as the Public Defender. Over the years, Amy has been a frequent lecturer and trainer on mental health issues, trial advocacy, trial preparation, and therapeutic courts. Amy was the Office liaison to the Sex Offender Management Board and the Cook County Jail. Amy received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana and her Juris Doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law. Amy is a lifelong member of the Delta Delta Delta Sorority, as well as a past president of the Southwest Suburban Alumni Association. Amy is married to Patrick Campanelli, and they have three children: Paul, Annabelle, and Emily. Amy is the second female to serve as the Public Defender.
How to Respond to Police Questioning (14.17 KB)