Colleen Adkins DeGraff

I was assigned Mrs. DeGraff as a public defender in the 18th circuit Florida. She was quickly reassigned off my case as she had to take maternity leave, but not before she personally handled depositions. As I have moved through several offices and numerous court appointed attorneys since, her deposit...ions have become a bedrock of my defense. Once assigned new counsel these depositions were hidden from me, then found, lost again, and eventually even destroyed in an effort to deprive me the truth contained therein. Today over three years later I am still fighting with current counsel to get them acknowledged. Mrs. DeGraff in my experience and opinion is that one good lawyer we all hear about existing in a very troubled public defender system. The 18th circuit is considered a very problematic one regarding constitutional rights, and she is part of the solution for sure and not the problem there. If you have her for your lawyer you are very lucky because she will be dedicated to you and not to a broken system that we all know does in fact exist. Thank you Mrs. DeGraff for your diligent work on my depositions and thank you for being, well, you, an honest, hardworking, dedicated to her clients, defense lawyer unafraid to do what is right rather than what is expedient, thank you, thank you, thank you, and my family does as well.