San Francisco, CA — The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office today filed a legal challenge in the first of hundreds of driving under the influence convictions tainted by improperly-tested field sobriety equipment.   The case involves a man who entered a no contest plea Nov. 7 to one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence....Read More

San Francisco, CA — Public Defender Jeff Adachi and District Attorney George Gascón are investigating cases where Preliminary Alcohol Screening (PAS) devices were used by the San Francisco Police Department when arresting a suspect for driving under the influence. Since the mid-1990’s, the SF Police Department has used PAS devices to administer breath tests to...Read More

San Francisco, CA — A man who was attacked in his home by two men, one of them wielding dual broken bottles, was acquitted of murder charges on February 23, Public Defender Jeff Adachi announced. Phuc Le, 44, the son of a U.S. serviceman who came to this country through the Amerasian Homecoming Act was...Read More

San Francisco, CA — A young man was acquitted of attempted murder charges on February 17, 2012, San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi announced. Terence Singleton, 25, was acquitted of attempted murder charges.  If convicted of the original charges, he would have been sentenced to life in prison. Instead, the jury deliberated for only an...Read More

The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office is celebrating its 90th Anniversary, San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi announced. In 1921, the California Legislature passed the Public Defender Act after Clara Foltz, California’s first female lawyer, spent years advocating for the creation of Public Defenders’ offices to provide legal assistance to poor people in criminal law...Read More

San Francisco, CA — A young man who was accused of theft of an iPhone was acquitted on November 16, 2011, San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi announced. Ronnie Morrisette, 26, was acquitted of robbery, assault, false imprisonment, and four lesser charges. After a week-long trial, the jury deliberated for less than a day before...Read More

San Francisco, CA — Revealing evidence of a fabricated police report, excessive force against a blameless merchant, and police theft, San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi today called on the SFPD to: (1) launch an immediate investigation into new reports of police misconduct, and (2) to institute a zero tolerance policy for officers who steal...Read More

Introduction Each year, the San Francisco Public Defender provides two trial college training opportunities to its attorneys and to members of the criminal defense bar.   The event is not open to the public, law students, prosecutors, or law enforcement. The office believes there is no better way to learn than by doing.  As such, our...Read More

  The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office is proud to present the 2011 Justice Summit: Justice By The Book. Schedule: 9:00 am: Registration 9:30 am: Panel I: By the Book: Authors on Criminal Justice 11:15 am: Panel II: The Ethics of Law Enforcement: Preventing the Abuse of Power 12:30 pm: Lunch 1:30 pm: Panel III:...Read More

The 2010 Annual Report and 2011 Calendar features stirring portraits of our clients and staff and documents our fight for justice both in and out of the courtroom.Read More