News and Press Releases

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 facilitated by Lyslynn Lacoste, longtime...

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 Public Defender Mano Raju, Donna Doyle,...

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 Chief Bill Scott unilaterally withdrew...

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 — Immigrants detained by ICE...

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 police illegally detained him in...