Friday was Lisa G. Peters' first day on the job as the new federal public defender for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
Peters was sworn in earlier this month by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Miller in a small, informal ceremony attended by Peters' family members and friends, as well as Lavenski Smith of Little Rock, who is the chief judge at the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis, which oversees the federal defender's office.
Despite being already sworn in, Peters didn't officially take over until her predecessor, Jenniffer Horan, retired. Horan's last day on the job was Thursday, more than 23 years after becoming the first person to head the office.
The federal public defender's office provides legal representation to people charged with federal crimes who cannot afford their own attorneys. Peters oversees 12 attorneys and 20 support personnel.
Peters, who is appointed to a four-year renewable term, said last week that she plans to make some changes but that "it won't be immediate."
She wouldn't say what the changes are except that, "I do want us to have more community outreach and be more involved in the community."
Horan supervised federal defenders in both the eastern and western districts of Arkansas until 2013, when the Western District formed its own federal defender's office and Bruce Eddy, formerly a deputy under Horan, took over.
Peters is a graduate of Fisk University, a historically black university in Nashville, Tenn., and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's William H. Bowen School of Law. She has been with the federal public defender's office since its inception.
A formal investiture for Peters is being planned for early next year.
Metro on 11/18/2018