Staff Directory

Washington Defender Association
110 Prefontaine Place S., Suite 610
Seattle, Washington 98104
Tel.: (206) 623-4321
Fax: (206) 623-5420

Toll-Free Felony/Misdemeanor Assistance: (877) 925-6012

Ann Benson (360) 385-2538

Click on the name of the person you wish to contact below to send them a message.

Adminstrative Staff

Christie Hedman, Executive Director

Travis Stearns, Deputy Director

Travis has been primarily a public defender his entire career.  After graduating from George Washington University, he worked for New York County Legal Aid Society before working briefly in corporate law.  He moved to Washington and was a public defender in Whatcom County for ten years.  He has handled almost every type of case, from jumping a turnstile to homicides.

Adam Hodgin, Program Administrator

Adam has been with WDA since September 2005, starting out in the position of administrative assistant and advancing with the departure of his mentor, Sarah Yatsko.  Adam has a background as a library page, a salad bar attendant, a temporary worker in a door factory, a temporary worker performing telephone surveys, a bookstore shipping & receiving clerk, a house painter, a drug policy thinktank intern, a putterer, a personal assistant, a paper shredder, a restaurant server & cocktail waiter, a flower deliveryman, an Internet advertising photographer, an assistant to in-house counsel, a techical writer, a construction laborer, and an antique shop lackey.  He aspires to attend law school but any further intentions remain unclear.

Alycia Delmore, Administrative Assistant

Alycia happily joined WDA in December 2008. She has deep ties to the theatre community in Seattle, having worked in the production department at the Seattle Repertory Theatre and as an actor at many theatres in town. She has also worked as a professional baker, a juvenile detention corrections officer, an office manager for a private investigator, and a theatre teacher.  She is married with one cat, and has a wicked sense of humor.

Technical Assistance

Cindy Arends, Felony Resource Attorney

Cindy has 14 years experience in public defense and has a varied background, having worked with all types of cases, from low level crimes to capital offenses. She has experience with alternative courts and mental competency hearings, and is death penalty certified.  She is able to assist you with your felony cases, from the planning stages through to developing a sentencing strategy.

Magda Baker, Misdemeanor Resource Attorney

Magda graduated from UW Law School and has been a public defender her entire career.  She has worked in both trial and appellate offices.  She specializes in practice issues relating to DWLS, DUI and the exclusionary rule.  She is available to help you with all of your questions relating to misdemeanor cases.

Washington Defender Association Children's Representation Project

Jill Malat, Children's Representation Attorney

Jill is the Children’s Representation Attorney. She worked as a public defender for over 13 years at both the Society of Counsel Representing Accused Persons in King County and at the Skagit County Public Defender's Office. Jill has taught law at Istanbul Bilgi University in Turkey and serves on the board of managers of the Downtown Seattle YMCA, where she is also able to focus on youth related issues.  

Washington Defender Association Immigration Project

Ann Benson, Immigration Project Supervising Attorney

Ann is the Directing Attorney for the Washington Defender Association’s Immigration Project.  She defends the rights of noncitizens accused of crimes, provides education to judges, defenders and prosecutors.  Additionally, Ann collaborates throughout the state and the country to reverse the trend of criminalizing immigrant communities.   Along the way Ann has worked as the Legal Director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, taught immigration law at the University of Washington School of Law and served on the Board of Directors of the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, One America (formerly Hate Free Zone) and the National Network to End Violence Against Immigrant Women.   In 2005 Ann received the Lexis Nexis Daniel Levy Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Immigration Law.   When not working, she enjoys the quiet life from her home in the seaside town of Port Townsend, WA.

Jonathan Moore, Immigration Resource Specialist

Email WDA: wda@defensenet.org