FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 27, 2023MEDIA CONTACT: PubDef-MediaRelations@sfgov.org | Public Relations Officer Jessie.Seyfer@sfgov.org | (415) 851-2212 **PRESS STATEMENT** SF Public Defender Responds to Newsom Opioid Task Force Announcement Leaders ignore evidence in favor of failed War on Drugs tactics SAN FRANCISCO — Today, Gov. Gavin Newsom, SF Mayor London Breed, SF District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and SFPD Chief Bill Scott...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 13, 2023MEDIA CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office | PubDef-MediaRelations@sfgov.org | Jessie.Seyfer@sfgov.org | (415) 851-2212 SF Public Defender’s Office Expresses Concern About Passage of SB 43, Which Puts Rights of People who are Mentally Ill at Greater Risk New law expands the number of individuals who are eligible to be detained or conserved against...Read More
Aug. 8, 2023 Media Contact: PubDef-Mediarelations@sfgov.org | Jessie Seyfer, public relations officer | (415) 851-2212 **PRESS STATEMENT** SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office is condemning SF Supervisor Matt Dorsey’s suggestion to re-allocate $18.9 million in city funds earmarked for Wellness Hubs to jail-based services for individuals arrested in sweeps for public intoxication. Elected Public...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 18, 2022 MEDIA CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office | PubDef-MediaRelations@sfgov.org | (628)249-7946 **PRESS STATEMENT** SF Public Defender Calls for the Immediate Destruction and Independent Investigation of Illegal DNA Database Created by SF Police Crime Lab The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office expressed outrage at the recent revelation that the SFPD crime...Read More
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...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2021 MEDIA CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office | Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org | (628)249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** Judge Rules California Department of Corrections Inflicted Cruel and Unusual Punishment on Incarcerated People at San Quentin During COVID-19 Pandemic Historic ruling comes nearly 18 months after a COVID outbreak claimed 29 lives, but offers little relief...Read More
SF’s failed ‘War on Drugs’ needs innovation to transform the status quo by Hadi Razzaq, Managing Attorney for the Investigation Unit of the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office San Francisco has historically responded to street-level drug activity in the same way: periodically cracking down on low-level drug sellers by ramping up policing. But arresting and...Read More
A visually impaired man who was temporarily blinded in a vicious attack was acquitted of assaulting a female bar patron after a jury determined he acted in self-defense, San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi announced today.Read More
