Joanne Peña earned her A.S. in Paralegal Studies and her B.S. in Criminal Justice. After working with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office for three years, she joined the Petersburg Public Defender’s Office in 2005. Joanne’s dedication to serving the rights of indigent clients led to a four-part series on Channel 8 regarding the discovery practices in Virginia, a federal investigation into the local police department, and many successful not-guilty verdicts. She is instrumental in assisting the attorneys with Voir Dire and the selection of potential jurors. Joanne enjoys mentoring new investigators, planning the annual conferences, and assisting in hiring and training new attorneys.
Joanne is a proud mother of two girls and, when not working, is actively volunteering in the schools