SF Examiner Reports on the “Legal Logjam” in SF Courts Keeping Hundreds in Jail Past Trial Deadlines “If we’re going to prioritize anything as The City reopens, the most important thing to prioritize, according to our Constitution, should be people’s right to liberty,” [raju] said. The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office has been raising the...Read More

This piece in The Guardian highlights the continuing humanitarian crisis in San Francisco County jail. Nearly 900 people remain in isolation under 23-hour lockdown, and at least 25% of them are people whose trial deadlines have passed. We are litigating against the trampling of their speedy trial rights caused by ongoing court delays. “These aren’t...Read More

Reporter Laura Kusisto of the Wall Street Journal interviewed San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju about the legal actions he has taken to address the growing backlog of trials in San Francisco Superior Court during the COVID-19 pandemic. While many other counties have safely held jury trials throughout the pandemic, San Francisco Superior Court has...Read More

On Monday, February 14, 2022, the Public Defender’s Office held an online community presentation to share our Departmental Budget Priorities for FY 2022-2023. Learn about our values, mission, and priorities for the coming fiscal year 2022-2023. Transformative Justice, Racial Equity, Community Health Public Defender Mano Raju presented our department’s budget priorities at a community event...Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 10, 2022 MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Ibarra | Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org | (628) 249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** Legal Action Urging SF Superior Court to Address Mass Trial Delays Moving to the CA Court of Appeal San Francisco’s Criminal Trial Backlog & Jail Conditions Remain a Serious Cause for Concern SAN FRANCISCO — Petitioners San Francisco...Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 3, 2022 MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Ibarra | PubDef-MediaRelations@sfgov.org | (628)249-7946 **PRESS STATEMENT** San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju Urges Police Commission to Preserve Independent Oversight of SFPD “Rarely do officers across the nation face criminal charges for on-duty violence, and San Francisco is no exception.  I am disappointed that yesterday, SFPD...Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 27, 2022 MEDIA CONTACTS:  San Francisco Public Defender’s Office: Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org, 628-249-7946  ACLU NorCal: press@aclunc.org, 415-621-2493  ACLU SoCal: communications@aclusocal.org, 626-755-4129  Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the SF Bay Area: slew@lccrsf.org, 415-272-8022 **PRESS RELEASE** Groundbreaking COVID-19 Settlement to Yield Protections for Immigrants Detained by ICE, Limit Re-Detention for People Released SAN FRANCISCO...Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 12, 2022  MEDIA CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office | Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org | (628)249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** Charges Dismissed Against Man Whose Face was Fractured by SFPD During an Illegal Detention SAN FRANCISCO — Yesterday, a prosecutor dismissed all charges against Sergio Lugo who was falsely accused of assaulting an SFPD officer when plainclothes...Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 6, 2022 CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Officer | Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org | (628)249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** SF Jury Acquits Former Firefighter of Felony After Psychologist Escalated a Confrontation Over Paperwork Former firefighter spent two years trying to fight this case, including 410 days in jail  SAN FRANCISCO – Yesterday, a San Francisco jury acquitted...Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 22, 2021 CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office | Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org | (628)249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** SF Jury Acquits Father-to-Be Who Defended Himself Against Hospital Security SAN FRANCISCO – Today, a San Francisco jury acquitted Gione Edwards, 27, of assault and battery charges in a case from April 2020 where a hospital security guard...Read More