“In light of the economic downturn and severe budget cuts to education, this event has never been so important,” Public Defender and MAGIC Founder Jeff Adachi said. “This year, there are more kids in need and more parents who cannot afford to provide the most essential tools required for their kids to succeed in school....Read More

It took a San Francisco jury 15 minutes to acquit Dale Powers, of Jackson, Calif., of hit and run charges stemming from an accident that he said never occurred.Read More

Hector Velez, 61, was found not guilty of murder and voluntary manslaughter in connection with the death of Ralph Ruiz, 59. The jury found Velez guilty of involuntary manslaughter.Read More

Months of budget battles came to an end Tuesday as the Board of Supervisors voted to restore $650,000 to the Public Defender’s Office. The restoration is in addition to $300,000 that the Budget and Finance Committee voted to allocate to the office last month.Read More

Public Defender Jeff Adachi asks the Board of Supervisors to restore funding to avoid increased costs to the city.Read More

Show your support while former clients of the Public Defender's Office explain how the legal services provided by the office contributed to positive outcomes in their lives.Read More

A report released by the San Francisco City Controller on case costs of the San Francisco Public Defender's Office has found that the the office's representation of 28,000 people every year is the most efficient and cost-effective way to provide legal representation to those who cannot afford lawyers.Read More

San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi said on Monday that the Mayor’s proposed $1.9 million cut to the Public Defender’s Office will cost the city millions more in the years ahead and take an unnecessary toll on poor people in the justice system.Read More

The first study to assess the impact of the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office reentry social work program found that alternatives to incarceration, reduced sentencing, and avoided jail days obtained as a result of reentry advocacy saved California state prisons over $5,000,000 and San Francisco County over $1,000,000.Read More

The 2009 Justice Summit was the first focused effort by the California Public Defenders Association, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, Bar Association of San Francisco and the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office to bring awareness to the national crisis in public defense.Read More