In 1987 the California Public Defenders Association established the following awards:

• The Defender of the Year Award
• The Defender Program of the Year Award
• The Gideon Award
• The Rose Elizabeth Bird Award

The "Defender of the Year" award was established to recognize a defender or defenders who, in the opinion of other defenders, deserve special recognition for their work in criminal defense practice. In some cases this is due to a particular effort, such as a single case they may have represented, while in other cases it is for recognition of an entire body of work.

The "Defender Program of the Year" award was established to recognize defender offices that have developed special services that serve as examples of important services for clients and staff. Examples in the past have included sentencing advocacy divisions, vertical representation divisions, computerized management software programs, and other innovative programs that serve staff and or clients of a particular defender office.

The "Gideon Award" was established to recognize members of the press and the electronic media and entertainment industry who have through their work, helped make the complex criminal justice system more understandable. Special emphasis is given to those who have helped educate the public with respect to the rights of criminal defendants and the defense attorney role in our justice system.

The "Rose Elizabeth Bird Award" was established in the year 2000 to recognize members of the judiciary for excellence in the performance of their duties.

Click HERE to view the 2006 Awards Presentations held at CPDA's 37th Annual Convention on April 28, 2006 in Palm Springs, CA.

Year 2008 Awards Nomination Form in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format

Defender of the Year Award Recipients

Public Defender Program of the Year Award Recipients

Gideon Media Award Recipients

Rose Elizabeth Bird Award Recipients