Orange County supervisors Tuesday extended the contract of Martin Schwarz as the Orange County public defender.
Schwarz has led the agency for nearly three years. He was appointed interim public defender in June 2020, then got the job officially in May 2021. Schwarz succeeded Sharon Petrosino, who retired in June 2020.
Schwarz’s contract will run through May 9, 2027, paying him an annual salary of $300,768 with an estimated total compensation of $486,366 with benefits.
Schwarz earned his law degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law and a bachelor of arts degree from UC Santa Barbara.
Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento moved to approve Schwarz’s extension “wholeheartedly.”
“As a former public defender myself I know it is a very selfless work that you and your team do,” Sarmiento said.
Sarmiento praised Schwarz for his work to keep the legal system going through the coronavirus pandemic.
“In the 27 years I’ve been with the department I’ve seen firsthand what we can accomplish in collaboration with county leadership and our justice partners to create a more humane and compassionate equitable justice system for all that focuses on better outcomes for everyone who’s involved in the system,” Schwarz said.
“I can’t say enough about the county’s investing in better outcomes for justice-involved individuals through OC Cares. It’s made a huge difference and completely changed the narrative on justice issues,” he added.
“Glad to have you on board again,” Supervisor Doug Chaffee told Schwarz.