News and Press Releases

For Immediate Release: March 25, 2021  Media contacts: San Francisco Public Defender’s Office / (628)249-7946 / Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org  Civil Rights Corps / Amber English Coleman / Media@CivilRightsCorps.org  **PRESS RELEASE** California Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Pretrial Rights in Re Kenneth Humphrey Decision Court unanimously rules California’s money bail system unconstitutional, reiterates that detention should only be used if absolutely necessary...

A Message from Public Defender Mano Raju: “I am honored to accept the James Madison Freedom of Information Award for our CopMonitor database. Thank you to the Society of Professional Journalist – Freedom of Information Committee of Northern California for recognizing the work of the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office in our active pursuit of transparency around policing.  The CopMonitor...

DATE: March 15, 2021 MEDIA CONTACT: San Francisco Public Defender’s Office – PUBDEF-MediaRelations@sfgov.org – (628)249-7946 Statement by the Public Defenders Coalition for Immigrant Justice on the Introduction of the U.S. Citizenship Act, the American Dream and Promise Act, and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act Public Defenders Urge Federal Government to Stop Criminalizing Immigrants SAN FRANCISCO – On March 12, 2021,...

DATE: March 2, 2021 CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office, Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org; (628)249-7946 Statement from Public Defender Mano Raju Opposing the Call for More Prosecutors to Address the Fentanyl Health Crisis “At a time when our communities are fighting for their very survival in the midst of the worst economic and public health crisis of this century, the proposal from Supervisor Haney...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 26, 2021 MEDIA CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office – pubdef-mediarelations@sfgov.org – (628)249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** SF Public Defender Client Deemed Not Guilty; Jury is Hung 10-2 due to Evidence of a False Accusation SAN FRANCISCO – On February 24, 2021, a San Francisco jury returned a split decision weighing heavily in favor of “not guilty” in a...