How ICE treats transgender people — a horror story Court filing says Salinas woman has been denied medicine, appropriate clothing, and access to lawyer after being unexpectedly moved from Yuba County to Texas. By Tim Redmond – 48Hills – January 5, 2020 Lexis Avilez thought she was going home on Christmas. It seemed, she later...Read More

SF Public Defender’s Office Takes on ICE Over Transfer of Client to Texas By Michelle Wiley – KQED – Jan. 4, 2020 The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office is requesting an immediate hearing to have a transgender woman, who was transferred out of California on Christmas Day, released or returned to the state. The public...Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 3, 2020 SF PUBLIC DEFENDERS FILE RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST I.C.E. FOR CHRISTMAS NIGHT TRANSFER OF TRANSGENDER IMMIGRANT DETAINEE TO TEXAS, WHERE SHE IS BEING HELD IN ISOLATION SAN FRANCISCO, CA — On Friday, January 3, 2020 the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office filed a Motion for Temporary Restraining Order against Immigration...Read More

SAN FRANCISCO – Today, on December 4, 2019, the San Francisco District Attorney dismissed all charges against Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, who was accused of murder and other charges relating to the tragic death of Kate Steinle in July 2015.  It took the criminal justice system four and a half years to reach this conclusion,...Read More

When an SF man was kicked out of a residential treatment program for taking a cookie without asking, Drug Court gave him two choices, go back and start all over again or spend six months in county jail. He chose jail. SAN FRANCISCO – On Monday, December 2, 2019, Gregory Fields, 42, was remanded to...Read More

Sacramento Immigration Coalition, Allies to File Complaint Against the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department for Illegally Handing Local Father to ICE for Deportation SACRAMENTO, CA – On Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 12:30pm, the Sacramento Immigration Coalition (SIC) and allies will host a press conference to file a complaint against the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department in support of Enrique...Read More

SAN FRANCISCO – On November 25, 2019, a San Francisco man, Robert Thomas, was released from the county jail after being wrongfully identified as the perpetrator of an assault. Deputy Public Defender Ilona Solomon, who represented Mr. Thomas, directed the Deputy District Attorney handling the prosecution to compare the photos of the perpetrator with her client,...Read More

By Tim Redmond – November 19, 2019 – 48Hills.org Four years in prison — for driving without a license? Oakland man arrested in SF faces long prison term — despite a jury finding him not guilty of two felonies. If you want to get a sense of what’s wrong with the criminal justice system in...Read More

SAN FRANCISCO – On Friday, November 15, 2019, a jury found Carlos Gordon not guilty on all counts of assault with a deadly weapon, making criminal threats, and a misdemeanor assault. The jury agreed with the defense that Mr. Gordon’s act of tossing a few decorative pebbles in the direction of a construction worker was...Read More

SAN FRANCISCO – On Tuesday, November 12, 2019, a jury acquitted a homeless man of two felony charges after police pulled him over at gunpoint for riding a stolen motorcycle on Division Street and San Bruno Avenue at 6pm on June 26, 2019. However, he may still serve four years in prison for driving without...Read More