UpClose With Carlos Martinez

An immigrant from Cuba, Carlos Martinez has made indigent defense his life’s work. He was elected Public Defender of Miami-Dade County in 2008 and was re-elected without opposition in 2012 and 2016. The first Cuban-American public defender in the United States, Martinez has launched multiple initiatives to help returning citizens obtain employment, educate young people about the consequences of illegal behavior, and engage the faith community in promoting social justice and improving public safety.

Recent Posts

UpClose

UpClose With Sharone Mitchell, Jr.

This month’s spotlighted member is Sharone Mitchell, Jr., Public Defender for the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender.

Artificial Intelligence

The Implications of AI for Criminal Justice

In June 2024, the Council convened a group of experts and stakeholders to discuss the implications of AI for the U.S. criminal justice system. The meeting brought together a diverse group of leading stakeholders from across ideologies, disciplines, and sectors of the system

Crime Trends Working Group

Toward a Better Estimate of Domestic Violence in America

Using new methodology that accounts for the underreporting of domestic violence to law enforcement, this analysis estimates that incidents in a sample of 20 large cities are 29% to 53% higher than what official counts show.