Lake County announces new public defender

WAUKEGAN – Chief Judge Daniel B. Shanes and the circuit judges of the 19th Circuit Court announced the appointment of Assistant Public Defender Gregory Ticsay as the new public defender of Lake County.

Shanes officiated Ticsay’s swearing-in ceremony Sept. 23.

“Greg has been a respected member of the Lake County legal community for nearly three decades,” Shanes said in a news release. “He has proven that he has and always will ensure his client’s rights are protected. The judges look forward to continued collaboration between the courts and our justice partners, including the public defender’s office under Greg’s leadership, to ensure that justice is available to all.”

Ticsay received his Juris Doctor from The John Marshall Law School and began his career with the Lake County Public Defender’s Office in 1995, where he has served with distinction for 29 years.

During that time, he consistently demonstrated his commitment and dedication to the Lake County Public Defender’s Office and the needs of indigent defense. In addition to carrying his own caseload, he supervises and trains new assistant public defenders.

Ticsay was a member of the capital litigation trial bar from 2002 until the abolishment of the death penalty in 2011. Ticsay was an integral attorney with Veterans Court, Therapeutic Intensive Monitoring Court, from its inception in 2011 until 2021. Throughout his career, he has represented indigent criminal defendants charged with felony and misdemeanor charges from arraignments through the conclusion of cases with integrity, according to the release.

“I am deeply honored and excited to have been selected to serve as the next public defender,” Ticsay said in the release. “I am committed to continuing the legacy of my predecessors by providing the best legal representation to the indigent accused.”