Swaby began his career in 1990 as a staff attorney for the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia
VANCOUVER – Deputy County Manager Amber Emery announced this week that the county has selected long-time public defense attorney Christopher Swaby as the county’s first director of public defense and chief public defender. Swaby will join the county on July 1.
“Christopher is a known and respected leader across the state of Washington with more than three decades of litigation experience,” said Deputy County Manager Amber Emery.
Swaby is on the board of the Washington Defender Association, a member of the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Washington State Bar Association Council on Public Defense and the Washington State Bar Association Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council.
Swaby began his career in 1990 as a staff attorney for the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. Christopher moved to eastern Washington in 2000, where he practiced on the felony defense panel in Benton County. He moved to the Seattle area and joined the Defender Association (TDA) as a staff attorney in the felony division and was later promoted to felony division supervisor. Swaby left TDA in 2012 and joined a small boutique criminal defense firm. In 2015, he left the firm to start a solo criminal defense practice. He has represented clients in matters in Benton, Cowlitz, Franklin, Grays Harbor, Island, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, San Juan, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston and Yakima counties.
Swaby was born and raised in Washington, D.C. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Virginia and a juris doctor from the Georgetown University of Law Center.
“The establishment of the new Public Defenders’ Office reflects Clark County’s ongoing commitment to fostering a justice system that is equitable and responsive to the needs of its residents,” said Swaby. “I am deeply committed to addressing the pressing issues facing public defense services in Clark County.”
The County Council in November 2023 approved using American Recovery Plan Act funding to create the new Public Defense office. The county is in the process of transitioning away from a contract model to provide county staffed indigent defense services.
Information provided by Clark Co. WA Communications.
Also read:
- See Brush Strokes In Motion this week at RedDoor Gallery in Camas
RedDoor Gallery in Camas is hosting multiple live art demonstrations through January, featuring local and regional artists working in paint, clay, and mixed media. - Letter: Interstate Bridge Replacement’s Park & Ride insanity
Bob Ortblad criticizes the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program’s proposed Park & Ride garages, arguing the costs are excessive and unlikely to receive federal funding. - Opinion: Vancouver councilors responsible for stoking irrational fears in the community
Clark County Today Editor Ken Vance sharply criticizes a Vancouver City Council declaration on immigration enforcement, arguing it fuels fear, undermines law enforcement, and lacks supporting evidence. - Kaiser Permanente employees volunteer at Clark County Food Bank on MLK Jr. Day
Kaiser Permanente employees volunteered at the Clark County Food Bank on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, inspecting and repacking food as part of a regional day of service. - North County Community Food Bank’s Seed Swap and Giveaway is Sunday, Jan. 25
The North County Community Food Bank will host its annual Seed Swap and Giveaway on Jan. 25 at the Hockinson Community Education Center, welcoming gardeners of all experience levels. - An icy reception for Gov. Bob Ferguson’s proposed budget cuts
Advocates for schools, child care, higher education, and climate programs sharply criticized Gov. Bob Ferguson’s proposed budget cuts during early legislative hearings. - Opinion: Washington should stop shielding domestic abusers and sexual offenders from deportation
Vancouver attorney Angus Lee argues Washington law improperly shields convicted domestic abusers, sexual offenders, and drunk drivers from deportation and urges lawmakers to change it.
