Who should replace longtime Hillsborough Public Defender Julianne Holt? We have an answer.

Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board, Tampa Bay Times
Updated ·4 min read

The Public Defender’s office for the 13th Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County provides legal representation to people charged with criminal offenses who cannot afford a private attorney. The public defender is elected to a four-year term and as of July 1 is paid $218,939 annually. Because only Democrats qualified to run, this election is a universal primary open to all registered voters.

Public Defender, 13th Judicial Circuit: Lisa McLean

Julianne Holt’s retirement after three decades at the helm marks a turning point for the Hillsborough County Public Defender’s office. Of the two candidates running to succeed her, Lisa McLean seems better suited to build on Holt’s achievements while strengthening the office for the future.

McLean, 59, has amassed a varied legal career since graduating from the University of South Florida and the Stetson University College of Law. While at Stetson, McLean interned with the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office and later became a felony trial prosecutor. In 1993, she went to work for the newly elected Holt, becoming a division chief in the public defender’s office before later working as a statewide prosecutor and in private practice. In 2006, McLean opened her own firm, focusing on criminal defense. She is board certified as a criminal trial lawyer, and widely hailed by colleagues for her legal skills and professionalism.

While the public defender mainly represents indigent defendants, most offices in Florida’s bigger circuits also address the restorative side. To her credit, Holt has made a priority of working to keep defendants from returning to the criminal justice system, offering a variety of services to address mental health, substance abuse and other issues that may contribute to the troubles these clients face.

McLean promises to continue that approach. She would expand youth outreach and mentoring programs and partner with social service agencies to confront the many root causes of crime. McLean said she wants to “decriminalize poverty” by working with law enforcement and the court system on “sensible changes” to bail policy that would enable minor, nonviolent offenders to rehabilitate their lives while leaving more room in the jails for serious criminals.

With a staff of some 200 attorneys, legal assistants, investigators and other personnel, and a budget of more than $23 million, the public defender’s office is often referred to as the largest criminal defense firm in Hillsborough County. McLean’s experience in the office and with owning her own legal practice give her the practical and business sense to capably run the operation.

Rocky Brancato, 52, is an attorney and chief operations officer at the public defender’s office. A graduate of Utah State University and the University of North Dakota Law School, Brancato is a career-long public defender, having worked in Escambia County before moving to Hillsborough in 2003. As the office’s second-in-command, Brancato knows the day-to-day operation, has strong local relationships and can share credit for Holt’s success in recruiting and training what’s widely lauded as a top-notch staff. He would put more attention to juvenile cases and continue wrap-around services to reduce the criminal pipeline. Holt has endorsed Brancato to succeed her.

McLean and Brancato recognize the toll that heavy caseloads have on staff attorneys and office personnel, and both promise to boost morale by exploring ways to improve the workplace environment, whether through expanded use of technology, limited remote work opportunities or other smart management practices. They also recognize the importance of being active locally and in Tallahassee in lobbying for their priorities. In that sense, both are forward-looking candidates who genuinely grasp the vital role this office plays in the justice system and the challenges to maintaining a quality workforce. McLean, though, has broader legal experience and the chance to bring a fresher perspective to the office. Her wide support in the legal community reflects an excellence that government needs.

The Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board recommends Lisa McLean in the Aug. 20 universal primary for Public Defender in the 13th Judicial Circuit.

The recommendation process

Before making a recommendation, the Times Editorial Board asks candidates to fill out questionnaires and sit for an interview. The process can also include running criminal and civil background checks, interviewing candidates’ colleagues and employers, reviewing voting records and financial disclosures and examining their past and current positions on relevant issues.