News and Press Releases

December 14, 2018: A victim of an attack in the Tenderloin is acquitted for attempted murder San Francisco—A man who was jumped and beaten in the Tenderloin was acquitted for attempted murder on Thursday, Public Defender Jeff Adachi announced today. Cheasarack Chong, 29, was defending himself when he stabbed one of his attackers, Deputy Public Defender Crystal Carpino said. “Mr....

Patti Lee of our office’s Juvenile Unit spoke at a hearing this week about the need to pass legislation to strengthen the rights of children in SF that are arrested. The new law would expand Miranda consults for all youth 17 and younger who find themselves in a custodial interrogation by SFPD. “If we get this legislation passed, it will mean a...

Our office is proud to join forces with many criminal justice reform entities as a part of newly-launched Debt Free Justice California. The SF Public Defender’s Office has worked hard to reduce the fines and fees that many people face who have already served their sentence,  and also manage to reduce the cases with the most important a criminal attorney Orlando...

FELONIOUS FOOTWEAR? Jury rejects idea that theft of socks should be a felony San Francisco—A woman was acquitted of felony robbery charges on Wednesday for taking a pair of socks from a shop in Fisherman’s Wharf this summer, Public Defender Jeff Adachi announced today. Raymoan Shaw, 30, admitted to the lesser charge of misdemeanor petty theft, but had she been...

Public Defender Jeff Adachi sent the following letter to London Breed today to oppose an idea being floated to transfer inmates from San Francisco to Alameda County, should SF Jail #4 close permanently. To quote Jeff, “San Francisco needs to be at the forefront of the movement to end mass incarceration. We need to stop dealing with poverty and public...