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Welcome to Federal Public Defender - Northern & Southern Districts of Iowa | Federal Public Defender - Northern & Southern Districts of Iowa Federal Public Defender - Northern & Southern Districts of Iowa Menu Main navigation Home Clients CJA Training Events Helpful Links Office Locations Cedar Rapids Davenport Des Moines Sioux City Employment ❝ In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall . . . have the assistance of counsel for his defense. U.S. Constitution, Amendment VI. ❞ Mission Statement The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Northern & Southern Districts of Iowa was created in 1993 by the Criminal Justice Act of 1964 (18 U.S.C. Section 3006). The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to the assistance of counsel for the accused in criminal cases. The Federal Public Defender’s Office represents only persons charged in federal court who cannot afford to hire counsel. The Federal Public Defender is appointed to a four-year term by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. The Federal Public Defender appoints as many assistant federal defenders and other personnel as the U.S. Court of Appeals and Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts approve. Office History The Federal Public Defender Office for the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa began its operations on December 27, 1993. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals selected Paul A. Zoss as the state’s first federal defender. The Federal Defender Offices in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids opened in 1994. Staffed offices in Sioux City and Davenport followed in 1998. Paul Papak and Nicholas Drees served as the second and third federal defenders, respectively. On April 16, 2012, James Whalen was appointed as the federal defender. The federal defender office’s staff of 30 includes 11 assistant defenders. The office’s lawyers represent clients charged with a wide variety of crimes in federal court. The most common charges involve drugs, firearms, fraud, or child pornography. Cedar Rapids 222 Third Avenue SE Suite 290 Cedar Rapids , IA 52401 United States Fax: (319) 363-9542 Phone: (319) 363-9540 Davenport 101 W. Second Street Suite 401 Davenport , IA 52801 United States Fax: (563) 383-0052 Phone: (563) 322-8931 Des Moines 400 Locust Street Suite 340 Des Moines , IA 50309 United States Fax: (515) 309-9625 Phone: (515) 309-9610 Sioux City 701 Pierce St Suite 400 Sioux City , IA 51101 United States Fax: (712) 252-4194 Phone: (712) 252-4158 © 2019 Federal Public Defender - North & South Districts of Iowa. All rights reserved. Home Clients CJA Training Events Helpful Links Office Locations Cedar Rapids Davenport Des Moines Sioux City...