KALAMAZOO – Matthew Wait, Executive Director and Public Defender, has named Rachel Suhrbier the new Chief Public Defender of Kalamazoo County Defender, Inc.
Suhrbier has served as Deputy Chief Public Defender since September 2023 and has been an attorney with Kalamazoo Defender since 2019. As the Chief Public Defender, Suhrbier will oversee a dedicated staff of attorneys, paralegals, investigators, mitigation specialists and other MIDC staff at one of Michigan’s most innovative indigent defense practices.
“Rachel has been an amazing Defender during her time here. Her work has made us a better organization and allows us to better represent our clients,” according to Wait. “The impact she has made as Deputy Chief has shown that she is more than ready to ascend to the Chief Public Defender role where she will continue to make outstanding contributions to our practice,” he added.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to be a part of Kalamazoo Defender since its infancy. Seeing this organization jump from the pages of the original proposal to an office of committed Defenders is a daily reminder of the good people can do when they work together. I look forward to continued service to the Kalamazoo Defender team and our community in my role as Chief Defender,” Suhrbier noted.
Kalamazoo Defender plans to conduct a search for the Deputy Chief Public Defender position starting in the near future. However, until such time as a permanent hire has been announced. Donna Innes, the first Chief Defender of Kalamazoo Defender, has agreed to step into the role.
“I am humbled that Donna Innes is willing to step in to be my interim Deputy Chief. She is an excellent role model who is generous with her knowledge and time. I have immense respect for her and I truly know how lucky I am to have her as my partner in this work,” opined Suhrbier.
Before her tenure at Kalamazoo Defender, Suhrbier served as a Staff Attorney with Legal Aid of West Michigan. Suhrbier brings with her over sixteen years of experience as an attorney. Suhrbier holds a Juris Doctor degree from Creighton University School of Law and undergraduate degrees from the University of Iowa.
Suhrbier will assume her new functions immediately. She is the third Chief Public Defender in the organization’s history.
Kalamazoo County Defender, Inc.
Kalamazoo Defender provides holistic, zealous criminal legal defense for individuals of low income who are facing charges with jail as a potential penalty. Kalamazoo Defender fights for clients and seeks to connect them to community services through The Village to mitigate their experiences in the criminal justice system.