The Orange County Board of Supervisors Tuesday appointed the second-in-command at the Orange County Public Defender’s Office to succeed Sharon Petrosino, who is retiring next month, on an interim basis.
Martin Schwarz, who was in the running for the job when Petrosino was appointed four years ago, was appointed interim public defender. He will take over on July 2 when Petrosino retires.
Schwarz will be paid nearly $119 an hour, which is an annual salary of $247,145.60. With benefits the compensation amounts to $390,068.
Supervisor Don Wagner was the lone no vote.
“I was uncomfortable putting the No. 2 in charge automatically,” Wagner told City News Service. “I think an outside interim person would be better while we do a thorough search for the permanent public defender.”
Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Michelle Steel formed an ad-hoc committee of herself and Wagner to search for a new public defender.