Graciela Martinez

Graciela Martinez is the Head Deputy for the Immigration and Civil Commitment Units of the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office.   Ms. Martinez consults with, advises and trains attorneys on issues relating to criminal convictions and the resultant immigration penalties.  Her articles, practice advisories, guidelines and memoranda, including Immigration Consequences and the Criminal Defense Lawyer, coupled with frequent trainings, provide Los Angeles County public defenders with the necessary tools to understand the complex immigration consequences flowing from involvement in the criminal justice system. Her work also informs criminal defenders statewide on policies and practices that affect non-citizen clients, such as immigration enforcement, detention and interagency cooperation.  She is the co-author of the CEB Criminal Practice and Procedure Immigration Chapter and an update author of various chapters of CEB’s Criminal Defense of Immigrants.  Ms. Martinez works with various non-profit organizations to strengthen the professional relationships between criminal defense and immigration attorneys.  She has lectured on the interplay between criminal and immigration law at seminars, trainings and symposia throughout California. Ms. Martinez has also successfully litigated criminal matters before the California Court of Appeals.

Ms. Martinez serves as an officer of the California Public Defender’s Association (“CPDA”).  She is CPDA’s Immigration Committee Chair and a member of its Diversity and Legislative Committees.  Ms. Martinez’s work with CPDA’s Legislative Committee   has contributed to the enactment of laws that protect the rights of all Californians, irrespective of immigration status. She is a graduate of Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley, School of Law.