Erin Brooks, Public Defender
Erin Brooks graduated from New Mexico State University in 2000 with a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and earned her Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law in 2003. She began her legal career as a Deputy Public Defender in Tulare County in January 2004, representing clients charged with offenses ranging from misdemeanors to serious felonies, including murder.
In 2017, she was promoted to Supervising Attorney, and in January 2021, she was appointed as the Tulare County Public Defender.
She is an active member of the California Public Defender Association, the National Association of Public Defense, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Beyond her courtroom work, she has been deeply involved in community service and leadership. Since her appointment in 2009, she has served on the Tulare County Mental Health Board, where she is the current Chair and has previously served as both Chair and Vice Chair. She is also the current President of the Happy Trails Riding Academy Board, where she has been a member since 2017.
Her professional achievements include earning the Credentialed California County Senior Executive designation from the CSAC Institute in August 2019 and being honored as the Outstanding Partner in Education by Visalia Partners in Education, VUSD, in May 2019.
Ron Westphal, Assistant Public Defender
Ron Westphal has been with the Tulare County Public Defender’s Office since 2011, bringing over a decade of dedicated service to the community. He was promoted to Supervising Attorney in 2017 and appointed Assistant Public Defender in 2021.
Ron holds a Juris Doctor from Western State University and serves on the Community Corrections Partnership Board, where he works collaboratively to improve local justice and rehabilitation efforts. His leadership reflects a deep commitment to fair representation and community-centered solutions.
Sarah McNabb, Assistant Public Defender
Sarah McNabb serves as the Assistant Public Defender for Tulare County, a role she assumed in November 2024. A lifelong resident of the Central Valley, she grew up in the communities of Ivanhoe, Orosi, and Dinuba. Inspired by her parents’ careers in public service and her own early ambition to become an attorney Sarah earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Fresno State in 1998 and began her career as a Tulare County Probation Officer. After five years, she transitioned to the foster care system, spending a decade with a Foster Family Agency and advancing to upper management. During that time, she earned a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from National University. She began law school at San Joaquin College of Law in 2012.
While in law school, Sarah clerked for the Tulare County Public Defender’s Office, joining as a Deputy Public Defender in 2015 after graduation. She was promoted to Supervising Attorney in 2022 and now leads with a commitment to both legal excellence and compassionate advocacy.