News and Press Releases

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 alarm on pandemic-induced trial delays...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 20, 2022 MEDIA CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office | Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org | (628) 249-7946 **PRESS STATEMENT** Public Defenders Remember Peter G. Keane, Former Chief Assistant Public Defender for the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office Our sincere condolences go out to the family of Peter G. Keane, a well-loved and deeply respected former Chief Assistant Public Defender of...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 20, 2022 MEDIA CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office |Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org | (628) 249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** SF Jury Acquits Another Community Member Who Spent One Year in Jail Awaiting Trial Judge wouldn’t release person from jail before trial without a program in place, but no program was available SAN FRANCISCO – Last week, the trial of Christopher Welch...

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 even people who have been...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 30, 2022 CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office |Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org | (628)249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** SF Jury Acquits Man Who Spent 331 Days in Jail, Nearly 8 Months Past his Legal Deadline for Trial SAN FRANCISCO – Yesterday, a San Francisco jury acquitted Isaac Tuialuuluu of a felony assault charge after finding that he was acting in self-defense during...