DAYTON–The Board of County Commissioners offered the Indigent Defense Contract to Rachel Cortez on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. She will represent Columbia County through the end of the year, fulfilling Julie Karl’s remaining contract, who ended her contract early.

Cortez affirmed during the interview portion of the meeting; she is more recently qualified to handle all felony trials without the need of senior council. She said, “I hope that my past performances on the contract has been acceptable and that everybody knows my work ethic and my abilities.”

Cortez has a private practice in both Dayton and Walla Walla and has previously contracted as a public defender for Columbia County in 2015 and in Walla Walla in 2019.