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Oregon Public Defense Commission

Commission Members

Robert Harris

Biography coming soon...
Susan Mandiberg

​Susan is Distinguished Professor of Law Emerita at Northwestern School of Law, Lewis & Clark College. Before joining the law school faculty, she was a trial and appellate attorney with the public defenders' offices for Multnomah County and the federal courts and an associate with a Portland law firm. She is co-author of a treatise on the subject of environmental crimes and has written various articles on the same topic and on criminal law and procedure generally. She has taught law in Spanish both as a Fulbright professor of law in Venezuela and as a guest lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of the Basque Country in San Sebastian (Donostia), Spain. She is a member of the Oregon State Bar.

Susan has dedicated her professional life to studying, improving, and training students to participate in the criminal justice system in Oregon and the federal courts. She has a deep commitment to doing what she can to make Oregon's criminal justice system as fair, equitable, and accurate as possible.

As a member of the commission, she wants to work to ensure that no one charged with a crime in Oregon courts should have to face the power of the state without the prompt assistance of a competent, well-trained, well-resourced advocate.

Alton Harvey, Jr.

Alton Harvey, Jr. has dedicated his life to social service and giving back. Alton is the Lead Mentor for Portland Oregon's Volunteers of America Federal Parole & Probation and holds a CADC 1 certification. He has partnered with many community leaders, including members of the Portland Police Bureau, Beaverton Police Bureau, members of the Judicial system, including, the Multnomah Department of Community Justice ​to establish and enhance better relationships with the community. Alton is a member of the Portland Police Steering Committee, has served as the Board President of the START (Service Thru Accountability, Restitution, and Treatment) Drug Court Alumni Group, and was most recently the lead mentor for START Court. Alton is also a Folktime Board member, which is a peer driven mental health organization, and the lead facilitator of the H.E.A.T (Habitual, Empowerment, Accountability, and Therapy), a culturally specific group for African American Men 18-29 years old impacted by gangs, addiction, and trauma. Having been previously represented by public defense attorneys himself, he brings a valuable and unique perspective to the Oregon Public Defense Commission.​

Caitlin Plummer is the Executive Director of Public Defender Services of Lane County, where she is proud to represent clients and lead an office of dedicated public defenders and staff. Prior to holding her current position, Caitlin worked in the office as a staff attorney and supervisor. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association from 2022 to 2025.  

Caitlin has more than 13 years of experience in indigent criminal defense. Prior to moving to Oregon, she worked as a Clinic Instructor at the Wisconsin Innocence Project, and the Michigan Innocence Clinic. She also spent several years in California representing indigent clients on appeal.  

She hopes to use her experience representing clients, and managing a nonprofit office that provides contract services to the Oregon Public Defense Commission, to help ensure that all indigent Oregonians receive high-quality representation—and that every public defender has the support and resources necessary to build a sustainable career in this deeply important field. 

Floyd Prozanski

Floyd was first elected to the Oregon Legislature in 1994. He served in the House of Representatives between 1995 – 2000 and 2003. Floyd was appointed to represent Oregon Senate District 4 in 2003. He was elected in 2004 to complete the current term and has been reelected since 2006.

​ Floyd graduated from Texas A&M University and later earned a law degree from the South Texas College of Law. An avid cyclist and home-brewer, he lives in Eugene with his wife. During the interim, Floyd works as a municipal prosecutor and serves on various legislative committees, workgroups and commissions.

Haley Olson

​Haley Olson is a dedicated defense investigator and small business owner with over five years of experience in criminal defense. Based in rural Eastern Oregon, she holds a Bachelor's degree in Legal Studies and is currently pursuing a Master's in Forensic Psychology, further deepening her expertise in the intersection of law and mental health. Haley occupies a unique position in public defense in Eastern Oregon, where she combines her entrepreneurial spirit with a strong commitment to justice and equitable legal representation. Her work supports underserved communities in a region where access to defense services can be limited. A proud rodeo mom and dog lover, Haley brings a grounded, community-focused approach to her work, advocating fiercely for the rights of individuals navigating the criminal justice system.


Leslie Kay

Leslie Kay is an Oregon attorney with decades of experience spanning criminal defense, civil rights litigation, and public interest law. Her practice has included representing clients in state and federal criminal matters as an Oregon public defense contractor and Ninth Circuit Criminal Justice Act panel attorney, as well as extensive civil advocacy in areas such as public benefits, housing, employment, elder law, disability rights, and health law.  She has held senior leadership roles in nonprofit legal organizations, including Interim Executive Director of Youth, Rights & Justice and Regional Director of Legal Aid Services of Oregon, overseeing large teams, complex budgets, and community-based advocacy. Leslie has also contributed significant volunteer service, including leadership roles with the Oregon State Bar, the Multnomah Bar Association (President), and the Multnomah County Cultural Coalition, reflecting a longstanding commitment to access to justice, equity, and community engagement.​

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Biography coming soon...
Paul Lipscomb

​Retired Judge Paul Lipscomb joined the commission in January 2025. He was previously a presiding judge of the Marion County Circuit Court and an executive director of the Marion County Association of Defenders. He is now a mediator and arbitrator. 

Philippe Knab

​Philippe Knab is the Eviction Defense and Reentry Program Director with the Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid. He brings a varied background in direct service and program development, including fifteen years as a public defender and civil legal aid attorney. Philippe has practiced in a variety of roles to enhance access to justice, including as a public defender at the Bronx Defenders, Supervising Attorney at the Legal Aid Society, and as a Supervising Civil Rights Prosecutor with the New York City Commission on Human Rights. Most recently, Philippe served as Managing Attorney for the Northwest Justice Project's Vancouver Office. He is barred in Oregon and holds an undergraduate degree in Philosophy, with honors, from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN.​

Stephanie Engelsman

​Biography coming soon...

Tom Lininger

​Tom grew up in Southern Oregon.  He is the Orlando J. and Marian H. Hollis Professor at the University of Oregon School of Law, where he teaches criminal procedure and other subjects.  He has served by gubernatorial appointment as the chair of the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, and he was elected to the Lane County Board of Commissioners.  Tom has worked as a plaintiffs' attorney handling civil rights cases and environmental clean-up litigation, among other categories of cases.  He has also worked as federal prosecutor.

Immediately after graduating from law school, Tom accepted an employment offer from the public defender's office in Oakland, California.  He had to move before starting that job, however, so his wife could pursue an employment opportunity in another state.  Tom has never worked full-time as a criminal defense attorney, but from time to time he has given pro bono assistance to criminal defense attorneys in state and federal cases, including Supreme Court litigation.

As a member of the commission, he wants to help make sure that Oregon protects the right to counsel, and that Oregon takes proper steps to improve working conditions, compensation, and incentives for the attorneys who represent indigent defendants in criminal cases.