The Virginia Public Defender Commission, pursuant to Chapter 698 of the Acts of Assembly, 1978 (carried by reference as § 19.2-163.1 through § 19.2-163.6 of the Code of Virginia) takes pleasure in submitting its fourth report on the establishment, operation, experience and evaluation of public defender offices in the Commonwealth. Previous reports were submitted in November, 1974; June, 1976; and January, 1978. This is the first report since amendment of enabling legislation in 1978 increased to five the number of public defender offices to be established (*1) and the size of the Commission to nine members.

Two of the Commission members, Honorable Henry D. Garnett, Judge, Seventh Judicial Circuit, and Honorable William W. Sweeney, Judge, Twenty-Fourth Judicial Circuit, have served since the creation of the Commission pursuant to Chapter 2.1, 1972 Acts of Assembly. Both judges have previously served as Chairman, and Judge Sweeney currently serves as Vice Chairman.

Establishment and analysis of defender offices as alternatives to the assigned counsel systems' method of providing defense services was, and continues to be, the purpose of the enabling legislation.
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(*1) The fourth office was opened in the City of Petersburg on July l, 1979 with funding provided pursuant to LEAA Grant Number 79-A4848 approved by the Council on Criminal Justice and administered by the Division of Justice and Crime Prevention.