FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Bob Wesley
December 21, 2006

IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?

Most people would be impressed that the Public Defender’s Office is filled with lawyers who ranked high in their graduating classes, social workers with Masters degrees and clerical workers with four years of college education. Ninth Circuit Public Defender Bob Wesley is proud to have all of those, but advanced degrees make three attorneys and one social worker true standouts.

Winston Hobson uses his Juris Doctor degree to try serious felony cases, but his first doctorate was in agronomy. As a boy in Jamaica, Hobson says he was always busy in his family’s large garden. After getting his PhD from Iowa State University, Hobson worked with Ralston Purina developing feed for livestock. Following his wife’s unexpected death from an aneurysm, Hobson returned to school where he earned his law degree from Drake University in Iowa.

Hobson says he loves the law and wishes he had more time for research and writing. As a former Chair of the DNA Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Hobson admits that his science background comes in handy in his practice of criminal defense. He and his colleagues in the Public Defender’s Office find his experience in laboratory analysis helpful on cases. In the little spare time he has, Hobson tends to mango, avocado and citrus trees in his yard.

Stephen Talmadge received his first doctorate in forensic psychology, training that enhances his value to the Public Defender’s Office. His fellow attorneys often turn to him for his expertise in investigating psychological problems endured by their clients. Talmadge already had a Masters degree in psychology when he entered the U.S. Navy, which sent him to the Uniform Services University of Health Sciences for his doctorate in medical psychology. He served as a psychologist in naval hospitals and traveled the world as an expert witness in military cases.

Talmadge was a police officer before entering the Navy and says a keen interest in forensics prompted him to attend law school. He graduated from Barry

 University School of Law in May 2006. He says the interface between law and psychology is obvious -- his previous training helps him recognize mental illness in clients and work with them. He anticipates helping fellow assistant public defenders with cases where mental illness may be a factor.

Dr. Jim Riley could just as easily be seen carrying a black doctor’s bag as his big lawyer’s briefcase. Riley received his medical degree from the Loma Linda University Medical School and completed his training in anesthesiology at Harvard Medical School’s Massachusetts General Hospital. Upon completing his work in Boston, Riley practiced with his father at Florida Hospital in Orlando.

Riley wanted a change from his demanding medical practice after 20 highly stressful years as an anesthesiologist in a hospital. He admits that law practice is demanding also, but says that at least there is some sleep at night. During his last semester of law school he had to decide between an elective with the State Attorney or the Public Defender. Riley says he fits in much better with the criminal defense side as it is more consistent with his drive to help people. And do colleagues come to him for free medical advice? Riley says he’d welcome their questions; it makes him feel needed.

Dr. Joshua Kirven oversees Client Services and Community Programs in the Public Defender’s Office. After getting his Bachelors degree in business management, he earned a Masters in social work with a specialization in social psychology. Kirven went to Ohio State University for his doctorate in social work.

Kirven says understanding a person’s psychosocial make-up can be an important component of criminal defense. He and the social work professionals in the Public Defender’s Office serve as case managers for clients and their families. Kirven says that good people can make bad choices, especially when a person is off balance. He adds that society doesn’t give people much leeway in making bad decisions. He and the social workers assist clients in accessing services like mental health, anger management, substance abuse treatment and educational programs. Often a shift in thinking and becoming accountable is what clients need, says Kirven. As a certified diversity coach, Kirven says attorneys in the Public Defender’s Office often turn to him for advice in cultural nuances in their cases.

“The academic achievements of these four men, standing alone, are certainly impressive,” said their boss Orange/Osceola Public Defender Bob Wesley. “But to have this combination of skill and ability available to serve my legal staff and our clients is truly a fantastic resource.”