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PARENTAL

DEFENSE

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Nena Villamar, Chief

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Hayley Lichterman, Deputy Chief

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Lisa Cox, Statewide Office Administrator

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Baltimore City

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David Wanger, Supervisor

300 North Gay Street - 2nd floor
Baltimore, MD 21202

 

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Anne Arundel & Howard Counties

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Jonathan Gladstone, Asst. Public Defender

1700 Margaret Avenue
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Phone: 410.295.8800

Fax:  410.974.2903

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Allegany & Garrett Counties

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Beth Lamm, Asst. Public Defender
30 N. Mechanic Street

Cumberland, Maryland 21502

Phone:  301.777.2142

Fax:  301.777.2032

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​Baltimore & Howard Counties


Taua Blockson, Supervisor
200 Washington Avenue

Towson, Maryland 21204

Phone: 410.324.8900

Fax: 410.769.7882

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Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne's, Talbot & Caroline Counties

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Karolyn Bowe, Supervisor

170 E. Main Street
Elkton, MD 21921
Phone: 410.996.2851
Fax: 410.996.2860

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Harford County

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Charlene Dukes

219 E. Redwood Street, 9th Floor

Baltimore, MD 21202

 

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Montgomery County

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Sylvia Long, Supervisor

191 East Jefferson Street - 3rd Fl.
Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: 301.563.8919
Fax: 301.424.4156

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Carroll, Frederick & Washington Counties

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James Zuna & Diann Gastley

81 West Washington Street, Suite A
Hagerstown, Maryland 21740
Phone: 301.791.4735
Fax: 301.739.8061

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Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles & St. Mary's Counties


Ken Wardlaw, Supervisor

14753 Main Street
Upper Marlboro, MD 20227
Phone: 301.627.3300 ext. 103 or 105
Fax: 301.627.3320

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Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico & Worcester Counties


Michael Krautner, Asst. Public Defender
101 W. Green Street
Snow Hill, MD 21863
Phone: 410-632-2594 ext. 321
Fax: 410-632-0943

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WHO WE ARE

Our team of attorneys, social workers, parent advocates, paralegals, and Core Staff form defense teams to represent parents or legal guardians when  the local Department of Social Services (DSS), through their Child Protective Services Unit (CPS), institutes court proceedings alleging abuse or neglect of a child The Office of the Public Defender’s Parental Defense Division provides legal representation through all of the stages of the child welfare case.

 

These stages may include:

  • Emergency Shelter Care Hearing

  • Adjudication Hearing

  • Disposition Hearing

  • Review of Placement Hearing

  • Permanency Planning Hearing

  • Court Ordered Mediation

  • Termination of Parental Rights

  • Guardianship Review Hearing

 

If your child has been or is about to be removed from your home, please contact the Parental Defense Division in the county of your residence for more assistance (office locations and numbers listed to the left). 

To apply for a lawyer for Child-in-Need of Assistance (CINA) or Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) cases
Click here to fill out online application

Better Together Logo (Label)_edited.jpg

PDD Programs and Initiatives

An initiative of MOPD’s Parental Defense Division.
opd.bettertogether@maryland.gov
410-368-0426
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