Public Defender

Office (509) 634-2450

The Office of the Tribal Public Defender for the Colville Confederated Tribes is one of the few dedicated criminal defense offices in Indian Country.  Neither the Indian Civil Rights Act nor the Colville Civil Rights Act require the tribes to pay for members to be represented, however the Colville Business Council has chosen to do so to better serve the membership.

Under Colville Tribal Code §2-1-100 the Tribal Public Defender’s Office shall be appointed to represent all indigent criminal defendants who request counsel.  In two circumstances:

1] When the Tribes charge a member with a crime; or
2] The Tribes take legal action to remove children from their homes.

The office can be reached by calling (509) 634-2450. 

Both the Colville Tribal Police Department and the Corrections Facility have the ability to contact us after-hours. 

Staff:

Richard Lee | Attorney/Spokesperson | Email

Richard has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Washington.  He pursued his legal training at Gonzaga School of Law in Spokane and completed the Juris Doctorate in 1997. As an attorney at law, he began doing trial work in both jury and bench trials in 2003 with experience as a deputy county prosecutor, a county public defender, and working in a private law firm with experience in civil litigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recreation, we have great fishing with well-stocked lakes, creeks and rivers.