Former Nye DA will lead Nevada Public Defenders Office

Following his defeat in last year’s primary election, former Nye County District Attorney Chris Arabia has been appointed to lead the Nevada State Public Defender’s Office.

The announcement came from the Department of Indigent Defense Services (DIDS), who noted that Arabia’s appointment on Dec. 30, 2022, follows the retirement of Karin Kreizenbeck.

“I am delighted to be here and am looking forward to ensuring all Nevadans have appropriate representation,” Arabia said.

Arabia said he is also committed to improving indigent defense and working with DIDS in its continued efforts to support rural communities across Nevada.

The Office of the State Public Defender was created by the Nevada Legislature in 1971.

In 2019, DIDS was formed by Nevada Assembly Bill 81, in an effort to oversee, support, and provide state resources to indigent defense providers, that being public defenders throughout the state, primarily in the rural counties.

As a result of its work with county management, the judiciary, and local attorneys to build stronger and more resilient indigent defense systems across the state in the last fiscal year, DIDS was able to reimburse eight rural Nevada counties a total of more than $1.8 million in indigent defense costs, the release noted.

“Arabia’s extensive work in Nevada’s rural counties will be a valuable asset in building on this success.”

Additionally, Arabia said much of his time will be spent working in northern Nevada.

“I’m actually going to be spending a lot of time up in Carson City,” he said. “I’m looking forward to that because it’s certainly a job that I’m qualified to do. Historically, the Nye County District Attorney’s Office has not exactly been a springboard for better things, for the last 15 years. I was fortunate that this opportunity came about.”

The release went on to state that Arabia has a diverse background, having worked as both a public defender and a prosecutor.

He received his Juris Doctorate from the UCLA School of Law in 1995 and has been licensed in Nevada since 2006.

Over the past decade and a half, Arabia has served as the Esmeralda County Public Defender, Northern Nye County Public Defender, and most recently as District Attorney in Nye County, where he lost his re-election bid last year.

“Arabia will be the first appointment to the position of State Public Defender since the creation of DIDS,” the release stated. “His insight from having worked in leadership roles on both sides of the aisle, allows him to bring a unique perspective to the position.”

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes