On May 19, 2021, testimony began in an evidentiary hearing against San Quentin State Prison and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) for their mishandling of a disastrous transfer of COVID-19-infected persons from the California Institution for Men to San Quentin, resulting in a massive outbreak and 29 deaths in the summer of...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 27, 2021 MEDIA CONTACTS: San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, (628) 249-7946, Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org Sean Lai McMahon, Pangea Legal Services, (415) 471-0754 **PRESS BULLETIN** UPDATE: Federal Judge Grants Temporary Reprieve – Stops Deportation of Willian SAN FRANCISCO – Today, Federal District Court Judge Charles Breyer extended an emergency temporary restraining order, halting Willian’s...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 26, 2021 MEDIA CONTACTS: San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, (628) 249-7946, Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org Sean Lai McMahon, Pangea Legal Services, (415) 471-0754 **PRESS RELEASE** SF Public Defender and Pangea Legal Services File Emergency Motion to Stop Deportation of a Young Father Who Faces Extreme Danger in El Salvador SAN FRANCISCO – Yesterday, attorneys...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 25, 2021 CONTACT: San Francisco Public Defender’s Office – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org – (628)249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** Adachi Project Releases From Inside – A Documentary Short About the Psychological Impact of Being Caught in the County Jail System During COVID SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the Adachi Project released From Inside — a short film...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 20, 2021 CONTACT: San Francisco Public Defender’s Office – (628)249-7946 – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org **PRESS STATEMENT** Statement from the Office of the San Francisco Public Defender – In Support of Tare Beltran Chuc’s Parole Grant In response to public statements made by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office and others who have expressed...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 14, 2021 CONTACT: San Francisco Public Defender’s Office – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org – (628) 249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** San Quentin COVID-19 Outbreak on Trial: Hearing Starts May 17 Weeks of Evidence and Testimony Expected Hundreds of incarcerated petitioners allege CDCR caused an explosive, deadly COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin constituting “cruel and unusual punishment” ...Read More
DATE: May 10, 2021 MEDIA CONTACT: San Francisco Public Defender’s Office – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org – (628)249-7946 **MEDIA ADVISORY** San Quentin COVID-19 Outbreak on Trial: Hearing to Start May 17 Weeks of Evidence and Testimony Expected WHAT: An evidentiary hearing in the case against San Quentin State Prison and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 4, 2021 MEDIA CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office – (628)249-7946 – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org **PRESS RELEASE** SF Jury Acquits on Murder Charge, Agrees that Public Defender Client Acted in Self-Defense SAN FRANCISCO – Today, a San Francisco jury found a Fresno man not guilty of murder by virtue of self-defense. Although the man...Read More
Reporter Bob Egelko of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that, on April 12, 2021, a San Francisco jury determined that U.S. military veteran George Kennedy, 49, was not guilty of two felony assaults because he was suffering from a mental health crisis and was unaware of his actions. Deputy Public Defender Martina Avalos and her...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 13, 2021 MEDIA CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org – (628)249-7946 ** PRESS RELEASE** SF Jury Acquits U.S. Military Veteran on Assault Charges San Francisco Public Defender Showed that their Client was Suffering a Mental Health Crisis and was Unconscious SAN FRANCISCO – On Monday, April 12, 2021, a San...Read More
