Valerie Angel

Valerie Angel brings a wide range of experience to her private practice, having worked as a prosecutor, a public defender, and a law enforcement officer. She is admitted to three state bar associations: Florida (2017), the District of Columbia (2018), and the state of Washington (2020). Prior to joining Chesser & Barr in 2026, she served as a Public Defender in the First Judicial Circuit for Walton County, Florida.

During her time as an Attorney-Prosecutor with the City of Auburn, Washington, Ms. Angel represented the city’s interests in King County District Court as a city Attorney and also handled criminal prosecutions. She has two Masters Degrees - Public Affairs in Public Management and Public Affairs in Urban Management.

Before attending law school, Ms. Angel worked as a Grant Manager with the Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management in Houston, TX. She worked with multiple state and city first responder agencies to secure millions of dollars in grant funding for the protection of the citizens of Harris County, worked on federal and regional grant requests and oversaw grant expenditures to ensure regulatory compliance.

Furthering her service to the public and municipal entities, Ms. Angel worked as a Regional Domestic Security Planner with both the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. In this role, she developed policies and funding forecasts based on legislative research, regulations, and current events. She also designed and conducted large-scale emergency management exercises to evaluate multi-county readiness, and collaborated with various municipal agencies on grant applications, contracts, and compliance reporting.

In her private practice, Ms. Angel primarily focuses on criminal defense, family law, and municipal and business representation.

Areas of Practice:

• Criminal Law/DUI
• Family Law
• Municipal Law
• Business Law

Education:

• South Texas College of Law, Houston TX
  • J.D. – 2016
• George Stone Technical Center, Pensacola, FL
  • Florida Law Enforcement CMS, 2009

• Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
  • Masters of Public Affairs in Public Management, 2005

• Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
  • Bachelor of Arts, Communications, 2003

Bar Admissions:

• Florida, 2017
• District of Columbia, 2018
• Washington State, 2020

Community Involvement:

• Walton Academy for Growth and Change, School Advisory Committee Community Member
• Walton Athletic League, Board Member
• Chautauqua Theater, Board Member