News and Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 3, 2024MEDIA CONTACT: PDR-MediaRelations@sfgov.org  **PRESS RELEASE** All Charges Dismissed Against William Palmer, SF Sheriff’s Dept. Oversight Board MemberPalmer spent five months in jail; DA dismissed case on the eve of trial SAN FRANCISCO — On April 2, the SF District Attorney’s Office dismissed all charges against William Palmer, a member of the SF Sheriff’s Department Oversight...

**MEDIA ADVISORY** The State of Public Defense During a Crime-Focused Election Year  On Gideon Day, public defense chiefs from across the U.S. will hold a virtual press briefing to commemorate the establishment of an accused person’s right to counsel and to challenge misleading narratives about crime WHAT: Public Defender chiefs from across the United States will gather for a virtual...

The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office stands by Deputy Public Defender Ilona Yañez, who was the subject of a recent misleading and erroneous report by ABC7 News’s Dan Noyes. The report omitted several key facts, misled viewers about the law and unfairly sought to impugn Ms. Yañez’s reputation. In publishing the story, ABC 7 News allowed itself to be a...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 23.2024 MEDIA CONTACT: PDR-MediaRelations@sfgov.org  **PRESS RELEASE** Coalition to End Biased Stops Applauds SF Police Commission Vote to Implement Policy to Curb Racially-Biased Police Stops SAN FRANCISCO – On Wednesday night, the San Francisco Police Commission voted to enact an historic policy (Department General Order 9.07) to curb SFPD’s use of racially-biased pretext stops. This vote comes after an unprecedented...