News and Press Releases

San Francisco— A man with a neurological disorder that was approached and then forcibly pushed to the ground by a police officer while he attempted to board a paratransit van was acquitted of battery and resisting arrest on Wednesday, Public Defender Manohar Raju has announced. Marvin Cosby, 60, was looking at a year in county jail had he been convicted....

San Francisco– Two cases of people charged with domestic violence ended in acquittal this week after juries examined the evidence and decided that each one was based on false assumptions, Public Defender Jeff Adachi announced today. Elijah Watson, 38, and Chenille Moldovan, 43, were both found not guilty after altercations with their partners lead to their arrests. Mr. Watson was...

San Francisco—The jury hung 9 to 3 in favor of acquittal in a case involving a man who defended himself against a group of assailants on Valentine’s Day 2016, Public Defender Jeff Adachi announced today. Richard Contreras, 30, was charged with two homicides, an attempted homicide, carjacking and assault after he fired at men in a group at the Twin Peaks...

A person of color who was prosecuted after he was barred entry to his own apartment building by a security guard that didn’t believe that he lived there has been acquitted of all charges, Public Defender Jeff Adachi announced today. Shaun Huddleston, 52, was facing up to two and half years in jail for battery and resisting arrest after a...

Los Angeles—The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office was honored with the prestigious “Champions of Public Defense” Award on Friday from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) for its work on behalf of bail reform. The award was presented at NACDL’s Race Matters II Conference in Los Angeles and recognizes “an individual or organization for exceptional efforts in making...