Employees with the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office knelt for eight minutes and 46 seconds on Monday outside the Hall of Justice in honor of George Floyd — an unarmed black man who died in the custody of Minneapolis police two weeks ago. The action, organized by the office’s Racial Justice Committee, was part of...Read More

On May 29, 2020, the San Francisco Chronicle published this article by Megan Cassidy about the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office client, Paul Redd, who was resentenced in San Francisco Superior Court and earned release after more than 44 years in prison. Mr. Redd was convicted at age 19 based on the testimony of a...Read More

Court Finds Likely Constitutional Violation in ICE’S Detention of Immigrants in Two Cramped Detention Centers during Pandemic; Order Establishes Process for Court to Consider Releases of Detained Immigrants SAN FRANCISCO — In an emergency order, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order in response to a challenge by immigrants detained at two California immigration...Read More

After Long Battle, Public Defender Successfully Secures Release of Transgender Client from ICE Detention SAN FRANCISCO – Yesterday, the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office secured the release of Lexis Hernandez Avilez, a 41-year-old transgender woman who spent the last 17 months detained by ICE, most recently in Texas.  Her story made headlines in January of...Read More

April 21, 2020 DETAINED IMMIGRANTS FILE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST ICE, DEMAND IMMEDIATE RELEASES FROM EXTREMELY UNSAFE CONDITIONS DURING GLOBAL PANDEMIC  Lawsuit Also Defends First Amendment Right to Hunger Strike Over Dangerous Conditions SAN FRANCISCO – Immigrants detained at the Mesa Verde Detention Facility and the Yuba County Jail filed a class action lawsuit against...Read More

In response to the serious public health concerns related to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), our office has been leading the way in advocating for the health and safety of those who come into contact with the criminal legal system and who may be incarcerated in local jails, juvenile detention, immigration detention, and prisons....Read More

Public Defender Mano Raju Says “Zero Bail” measure is critical tool to prevent spread of COVID19 in jails throughout the state Today’s Emergency Bail Schedule implementation means people should be released from jails throughout the state starting at 5pm San Francisco — On April 6, the Judicial Council of California voted to implement a set...Read More

Federal Judge orders ICE to release four detained immigrants at risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19 infection SAN FRANCISCO – On April 8, 2020, a federal judge ordered the release of four immigrants detained in two ICE detention centers in California on the grounds that their age and medical conditions make them especially vulnerable...Read More

Calls Mount for Release of Vulnerable Prisoners as Justice System Struggles to Respond to Coronavirus By Marissa Lagos – KQED As much of California life grinds to a halt because of the coronavirus pandemic, some groups are asking local and state officials to take sweeping actions — including letting people out of prison or jail...Read More

Coronavirus fears prompt call for SF police to halt arrests in non-violent cases Public defender asks SFPD to reduce ‘all unnecessary contact’ with detainees who pose no safety risk By Michael Barba – San Francisco Examiner – March 12, 2020 Citing the need to undercut the spread of coronavirus, San Francisco’s public defender has called...Read More