FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 14, 2021 CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org – (628)249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** SF Jury Acquits Woman Accused of Violating a Restraining Order  Ex-partner lied and set her up to fail  SAN FRANCISCO – Last week, a San Francisco jury acquitted a 28 year old woman of violating a civil restraining...Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 10, 2021 CONTACT: San Francisco Public Defender’s Office – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org – (628)249-7946 ** PRESS RELEASE** SF Jury Acquits Homeless Man of Arson of Russian Hill Residence SAN FRANCISCO – This week, a San Francisco jury acquitted Erbert Mayek, 38, of numerous felony arson and arson-related charges stemming from a fire that...Read More

Zac Dillon of our Integrity Unit was quoted in the Examiner and Mission Local when he spoke at the September 1, 2021, meeting of the San Francisco Police Commission where they were discussing proposed legislation, SB 16, to expand police transparency laws in California. Both the new legislation and the original police transparency bill, SB...Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 26, 2021 CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org – (628)249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** 16 Public Defender Clients Graduate Behavioral Health Court First Virtual Graduation Celebrates Participants as they Strive to Heal Amidst Pandemic SAN FRANCISCO – Today, in a ceremony held on zoom and presided over by Superior Court Judge Charles...Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 26, 2021 CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org – (628)249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** San Francisco Public Defender calls for release of Ricardo Vasquez Cruz, one of only 3 remaining ICE detainees at Yuba County Jail amidst COVID outbreak SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Public Defender is urgently calling for ICE...Read More

On August 12, 2021, SF Weekly featured as its cover story – Jury-Mandering: San Francisco may soon pilot a new program aimed at balancing the scales of justice by increasing juror diveristy – with artwork by Olivia Wise. The in-depth article “Balancing the Scales of Justice” by Lily Sinkovitz discusses our Be the Jury pilot...Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 12, 2021 CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office – pubdef-mediarelations@sfgov.org – (628)249-7946 ** PRESS RELEASE** SF Jury Acquits Man of Misdemeanor Domestic Violence  Defense Presents Case of Self-Defense SAN FRANCISCO – This week, a jury acquitted a San Francisco man of misdemeanor domestic violence after Deputy Public Defender Cooper Findlay presented a...Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 8, 2021 CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org – (628)249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** SF Jury Acquits Graffiti Artist of Assault Charges Stemming from Vigilante Incident Public Defender presented case of self-defense SAN FRANCISCO – Today, a San Francisco jury acquitted Anthony Portillo, 29, of charges stemming from a 2017 incident in...Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 7, 2021 CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org – (628)249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** SF Jury Acquits Young Woman of Child Endangerment and Reckless Driving SAN FRANCISCO – Deputy Public Defender Latisha McCray won an acquittal for her 20-year-old client who was pulled over for speeding on the Bay Bridge last August....Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  June 30, 2021 MEDIA CONTACTS: Valerie Ibarra – SF Public Defender’s Office – (628) 249-7946 – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org; Anne Stuhldreher – SF Financial Justice Project – (415) 596-6138 – Anne.Stuhldreher@sfgov.org; Rachel Marshall – SF District Attorney’s Office – (415) 416-4468 – Rachel.Marshall@sfgov.org; Nannette Miranda – Assemblymember Ting’s Office – (415) 557-2312 – Nannette.Miranda@asm.ca.gov...Read More