Jeff Wright, the public defender for the state of Iowa, was on campus Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019, to speak with students in the criminal law and introduction to criminal justice classes.
Wright was appointed as Iowa's public defender in March 2019. Prior to his appointment, he served as chair of the Iowa Board of Parole. He is a graduate of Morningside College and Drake University Law School. He was admitted to the Iowa Bar in 2006 and founded the Carr & Wright Law Office. He practiced primarily in the areas of criminal, juvenile, and family law until his appointment as chair of the Board of Parole and subsequent appointment as state public defender.
SWCC criminal justice students learned Section 815.10 of the Iowa Code provides that when appointing court-appointed counsel, the court must appoint the public defender office, nonprofit organization, or attorney designated by the State Public Defender to accept those types of cases. If the local public defender declines the case or no office has been designated for a particular case then the Court must appoint a Contract Attorney unless no contract attorney is available.
Wright joins a long list of speakers who have assisted in educating students in SWCC's newly developed criminal justice program. The program, which began in August 2019, provides a variety of opportunities for students to hear from guest speakers, have hands-on experiences, and visit agencies and organizations related to the field.