PROVIDENCE – Collin Geiselman, who has served as the state’s assistant public defender for two decades and also since 2015 as the state’s chief of the trial division, has been nominated by Gov. Daniel J. McKee to be Rhode Island’s next public defender, McKee announced Monday.
McKee also said Geiselman is a current member and past president of the Rhode Island Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Geiselman also teaches at both the Community College of Rhode Island and the Roger Williams University School of Law.
Geiselman’s nomination is pending approval from the R.I. Senate. If approved, Geiselman will officially replace Lara E. Montecalvo as the state’s new public defender. Montecalvo, who was first appointed in 2020 as Rhode Island’s public defender, in September was appointed as a judge for the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals.
“I am grateful, humbled, and proud that Governor McKee has entrusted me with such an important position,” Geiselman said in a statement. “I look forward to leading the amazing lawyers and support staff at the public defender’s office as we continue to defend the rights of all citizens of Rhode Island.”
Geiselman would also lead an office that has had a severe staffing shortage leaving lawyers there greatly overworked, as well as some cases not being properly addressed. A report conducted by then firm Blum, Shapiro & Co. PC, The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers said that there were 49 full-time public defenders working for the office, well short of the 136 full-timers needed for proper operations.
Matthew B. Toro, current interim public defender who will resume his deputy director if Geiselman is approved, told Providence Business News Monday in an email there have been “incremental increases” to the office’s attorney staffing levels, which have had “positive impacts” in reducing caseloads. However, Toro said more staff is needed to meet the office’s full need.
(Comment from Toro added in 6th paragraph)
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
