Catania appointed as new public defender

The Auglaize County Public Defender Commission has announced the appointment of Attorney Nicholas Catania as the new Auglaize County public defender. Catania has been with the office for two years and prior to that was with the Auglaize County Prosecutor's Office since 2015.

Catania’s appointment allows the office to transition from the retirement of Gerald F. Siesel.

The Auglaize County Public Defender Commission had several respected and qualified applicants that applied for the position. The commission believes Catania’s past experience in the

Public Defender's Office will provide a valuable continuity and allow the office to make a new transition under his leadership. Rob Wiesenmayer II will continue as an attorney in the office.

The Auglaize County Public Defender's office will be hiring an attorney to fill the open space left by the promotion.

“I enjoy trying to get to help my clients not only to protect their rights and make sure that everything is done appropriately, that they are not being taken advantage of in any way but also help them better their life if possible,” Catania said. “It’s not the easiest job, but it’s an important job to make sure our justice system functions properly as it was designed.

He said it has been good working with Wiesenmayer and learning the ropes. He said outside of the attorney position, there are more administrative duties and budget management that come with the public defender job.

“The majority of the job is going to be representing clients, but I look forward to the challenge in making sure the office continues to run smooth,” Catania said. He said Siesel did a great job of running the office. They have recently hired a new part-time position at the office.