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Hillsborough County Public Defender Lisa McLean at Ruth\u2019s List \u2018She\u2019s Ready To Run\u2019 training in Tampa, Florida on Nov. 15, 2025. Credit: Valerie Smith \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\nHillsborough County Public Defender Lisa McLean at Ruth\u2019s List \u2018She\u2019s Ready To Run\u2019 training in Tampa, Florida on Nov. 15, 2025. Credit: Valerie Smith \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n
For many people with a criminal case, getting downtown to the public defender\u2019s office on a weekday can be prohibitive. Hillsborough\u2019s elected public defender, Lisa McLean, is setting up a satellite office once a month to bring her services\u2014and those of other agencies\u2014to zip codes that need it the most.<\/p>\n
On Feb. 21 from 10 a.m.\u20131 p.m., McLean and her team will hold office hours for anyone with questions for, or business with, the public defender\u2019s office at the University Community Resource Center at 13605 N 22nd St. in Tampa. The event is expected to take place on the third Saturday of every month.<\/p>\n
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In addition to covering criminal cases, the \u201cPD13 Street Legal\u201d event will host other groups to support Hillsborough residents holistically.<\/p>\n
Nonprofit law firm Bay Area Legal Services will be there to field questions about any non-criminal legal issues people may have, like evictions or custody cases. Tampa Family Health will help people access affordable medical services. Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative will be available to help people find housing or connect them with other resources like food banks.<\/p>\n
Ibis Healthcare, formerly Grace Point, will be present for any mental health-related assistance. The Hillsborough County Sheriff\u2019s Office and the Florida Department of Corrections will be present to answer questions about jail or probation.<\/p>\n
In deciding where to hold the event, McLean\u2019s team found the three zip codes in Hillsborough County that have the most public defender clients. \u201cIt\u2019s about equal access,\u201d McLean told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. \u201cA lot of times, clients can\u2019t really get to us downtown. What better way to reach people that have a difficulty getting to us than to meet them where they are?\u201d<\/p>\n
McLean said transportation insecurity, work hours, and food and housing insecurity can all be barriers to getting legal help from her office, which is why she wanted to include other community organizations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe PD\u2019s office, for a long time, has prided itself on this holistic approach to our representation of our clients. We are trying to help people resolve the root causes of crime, reasons people might become involved with crime,\u201d McLean told CL. \u201cWhen you don\u2019t know where you\u2019re going to lay your head, you\u2019re not really thinking about your criminal case.\u201d<\/p>\n
Attendees will start in a reception area, where they will be directed to the appropriate table for whatever services they need. Since this is the first event, McLean said she\u2019s not quite sure what services will be most in-demand, but all organizations will make their best effort to address everyone who needs help.<\/p>\n
Follow @hillsboroughpublicdefender Facebook<\/a>and Instagram<\/a>for updates about PD13 \u201cStreet Legal.\u201d<\/p>\n Pitch in to help make the Tampa Bay Journalism Project a success.<\/a><\/p>\n Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us:\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0BlueSky<\/a><\/p>\n This article appears in Jan. 29 \u2013 Feb. 04<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n \t