News and Press Releases

On September 8, 2021, the SFPD tried to rush a vote by the Police Commission to accept updated policies around warrants that were designed — as 48 Hills noted and our Integrity Unit argued — with little public input and without consulting our department nor the District Attorney’s Office. One of the more egregious parts of the proposed policies would continue...

On September 12, 2021, Attorneys Matt Gonzalez and Francisco Ugarte published an article on Medium titled “An Open Letter to the Biden Administration: It’s time to drop charges against José Ines García Zárate” whom they represented in state court when he was charged and acquitted of the murder of Kate Steinle. The new editorial argues that the federal gun charges...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 14, 2021 CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org – (628)249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** SF Jury Acquits Woman Accused of Violating a Restraining Order  Ex-partner lied and set her up to fail  SAN FRANCISCO – Last week, a San Francisco jury acquitted a 28 year old woman of violating a civil restraining order that her ex-partner had...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 10, 2021 CONTACT: San Francisco Public Defender’s Office – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org – (628)249-7946 ** PRESS RELEASE** SF Jury Acquits Homeless Man of Arson of Russian Hill Residence SAN FRANCISCO – This week, a San Francisco jury acquitted Erbert Mayek, 38, of numerous felony arson and arson-related charges stemming from a fire that started in a trash chute...

Zac Dillon of our Integrity Unit was quoted in the Examiner and Mission Local when he spoke at the September 1, 2021, meeting of the San Francisco Police Commission where they were discussing proposed legislation, SB 16, to expand police transparency laws in California. Both the new legislation and the original police transparency bill, SB 1421, which was signed into...