Olson spoke about the work her office does and the importance of holistic defense
By MADELYN SEVIGNY — city@theaggie.org
The Davis Odd Fellows hosted Yolo County Public Defender Tracie Olson as part of their Universal Justice Speaker Series on Jan. 20.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is a fraternal organization that focuses on community service. The Davis chapter of the Odd Fellows was established in 1870, preceding the City of Davis itself.
The Universal Justice Speaker Series is sponsored by the Canton Davis, the highest degree in the order, which represents the degree of universal justice.
Larry Guenther, a member of the Davis Odd Fellows and former head of the organization, explained the purpose of the Universal Justice Speaker Series and the need to actively exercise the values that their organization represents.
“We have this speaker series where people who provoke justice or organizations can present to the community what they do, how it promotes justice, and how people in the community can help,” Guenther said. “If our purpose is to promote universal justice, then we should actively do something to [uphold] that.”
The Davis Odd Fellows previously hosted Natalie Dillon, the child support director for the Colusa, Sutter, Yolo Regional Child Support Agency on Oct. 1, 2025. At her event, Dillon spoke about the history of the child support program, legislative and policy updates, local child support and reform efforts.
In anticipation of the event, Olson, as the chief public defender for Yolo County, spoke about what the public defender’s office does and why their work is important. She explained that a public defender is an attorney assigned by the court to provide legal aid to individuals who cannot afford to hire a lawyer, ensuring the legal right to counsel as established by the 6th amendment and Gideon v. Wainwright.
“We are so important for public safety, and as a check and balance in the system,” Olson said. “[We are] protecting people’s rights and making sure the Constitution […] is held up.”
Olson explained how providing council to everyone is crucial, regardless of their situation.
“If you don’t do that for everybody, […] if you stop and ask whether or not that person deserves it or how they got into that situation, then you’re really exposing the rest of the community to overreach and having their rights violated.”
The Yolo County public defender’s office practices what they call “holistic defense,” which emphasizes looking at people as individuals rather than cases.
“We will refer people to treatment, we’ll get them appointments, we will get them transportation [and] we will help with their housing, if possible,” Olson said. “It matters because the more you can get people help and the earlier, the less time they’re gonna get in trouble, the less costs to the system […] and you also have less victims.”
Olson also mentioned what she believes is a popular misconception about public defenders.
“There’s a myth that public defenders are soft on crime, that we just try to avoid accountability: [that’s] not true,” Olson said. “We just don’t think that incarceration is the band-aid that fixes everything. So that’s why we do holistic defense, as we can get people into situations where they’re healthier and making better decisions. That works better than deterrence, almost every time.”
When asked if there is anything that the public can do to support public defenders or criminal justice reform, Olson emphasized the importance of informed voting.
“Really get out there, be informed and vote,” Olson said. “What I would ask is everybody that’s about to vote on something, really read the pros and cons and pay attention, if they’re willing, to what the criminal defense side is telling them are going to be the ramifications.”
To learn more about the Davis Odd Fellows and their Universal Justice Speaker Series, visit their website.
Written By: Madelyn Sevigny — city@theaggie.org
