November 11, 2020 PRESS CONTACT: Valerie Ibarra – SF Public Defender’s Office – (628)249-7946 New Documents Reveal ICE and Private Prison Contractor Exacerbates a COVID Outbreak at Immigration Detention Center Hid Risks to Immigrants In Grave Danger Due to COVID Pandemic, Misled Court SAN FRANCISCO – Last night, detained immigrants held at the Mesa Verde ICE...Read More

November 5, 2020 San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju’s Statement on Election’s Implications for Criminal Justice Reform in California “2020 has been a year of divisive politics and a national reckoning with racism, police brutality, and systemic injustice. However, this week there was consensus across California: voters made clear their desire to continue on a...Read More

October 28, 2020  PRESS CONTACT: San Francisco Public Defender’s Office – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org SF Public Defender’s Office Wins Acquittal for Client Accused of Carjacking and Robbery SAN FRANCISCO – Yesterday, a jury acquitted a client of the Public Defender of all carjacking and robbery charges stemming from an incident in May. The jury found that Valentine...Read More

October 1, 2020 PRESS CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office – (628)249-7946 – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org SF Public Defender Mano Raju’s Statement on Criminal Justice Reform Bills Signed by Governor Newsom “In the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a shortened legislative session, and a powerful national grassroots movement demanding systemic change in the criminal legal system, my...Read More

September 24, 2020 PRESS CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office – (628)249-7946 – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org  Public Defender Mano Raju Responds to City Attorney Dennis Herrera’s Decision to File Civil Injunctions Against 28 Individuals “I agree that drug use in the Tenderloin is a serious public health issue that negatively affects residents, many of whom are clients of my office,...Read More

September 24, 2020 PRESS CONTACTS: Valerie Ibarra – SF Public Defender’s Office – (628)249-7946 – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org; Treasurer’s Office/Financial Justice Project – (415) 596-6138 – Anne.Stuhldreher@sfgov.org California Becomes the First State in the Nation to End Collection of Fees in the Criminal Legal System  San Francisco Treasurer José Cisneros and Public Defender Mano Raju applaud Governor...Read More

September 23, 2020 PRESS CONTACTS: SF Public Defender’s Office – (628)249-7946 – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org; Gala King – Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity – (510)759-4196 – GKing@im4humanintegrity.org SF Board of Supervisors Unanimously Passes Resolution Urging Governor Newsom to Pardon Immigrant Rights Leader Charles Joseph SAN FRANCISCO  – Last night, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed...Read More

September 11, 2020 PRESS CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office – (628)249-7946 – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org  SF Public Defender Mano Raju’s Statement Regarding the Arrest of SF Medical Examiner Lab Analyst   “The arrest of Mr. Volk casts another dark shadow on the credibility of the Medical Examiner’s Office, and I urge the District Attorney to immediately review the thousands of cases...Read More

August 17, 2020 PRESS CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office – (628) 249-7946 – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org Petitioners Allege CDCR Purposefully Ignored Marin County Health Official Warnings about Dangers at San Quentin; Over 400 pages of Evidence Presented  Habeas petitions allege CDCR actions causing explosive and deadly Covid-19 outbreak at San Quentin constitute “cruel and unusual punishment”  SAN...Read More

August 15, 2020 PRESS CONTACT: San Francisco Public Defender’s Office – (628) 249-7946 – pubdef-mediarelations@sfgov.org After Judge Ordered ICE to Test All Detainees and Staff at Mesa Verde, Fifty Percent of Detainees Test Positive for COVID-19 SAN FRANCISCO — In an emergency order late yesterday, federal District Court Judge Vince Chhabria ordered the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement...Read More