Blog

24
Mar
2026

San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju to Appeal Sanctions

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Today in SF Superior Court, numerous chief public defenders from across California stood with San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju and his office, reflecting the nationwide efforts by public defenders to demand resources equal to those of prosecutors in criminal courts. At today’s hearing, SF Superior Court Judge Harry Dorfman sanctioned Raju by fining him $26,000—calculated as $1,000 for the 26 people the Public Defender’s office has declined to represent since January, when Dorfman ordered the office to take on those cases.

18
Mar
2026

Complaint Alleges SFPD Racially Profiled Man and Caused Violent Havoc at a Home

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Today, the Public Defender’s Office filed a complaint with the San Francisco Department of Police Accountability asserting that two SFPD officers violated numerous police department policies when they racially profiled, used excessive force, and carried out illegal detention and arrests at a private home in August 2025. More specifically, the officers treated a Black man as a suspect based solely on his race and later slammed his face into the pavement; grabbed another man by the neck and punched him repeatedly; and pepper-sprayed a disabled, wheelchair-bound woman during a family gathering in a Hunter’s Point home.

10
Mar
2026

S.F. Public Defender Responds to Court’s Finding of Contempt over Unavailability

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On March 10, 2026, S.F. Superior Court Judge Harry Dorfman made a finding of contempt against San Francisco’s elected Public Defender Mano Raju after the judge ordered the Public Defender’s Office to take on more cases than would be ethically sound. The judge threatened monetary sanctions to be determined at a hearing on March 24. […]

28
Jan
2026

Fair Verdict Reached After Month-long Trial of Antoine Watson that Clarified Misinformation

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PRESS RELEASE: After a month-long trial, a jury acquitted Antoine Watson of first- and second-degree murder and elder abuse from a highly publicized January 2021 incident. The jury convicted Watson of involuntary manslaughter and assault for pushing Vicha Ratanapakdee, who later died from the fall. Jurors reviewed extensive evidence that refuted widespread misinformation that circulated […]

14
Jan
2026

New Data Shows ‘Pretext Stops’ Policy Has Reduced Racial Profiling in San Francisco

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The Coalition to End Biased Stops is highlighting new data showing that the S.F. ‘Pretext Stops’ policy has reduced racial profiling. The percentage of Black drivers stopped for non-moving violations (including the nine that are restricted under the pretext stop policy; ex. having a broken taillight) has dropped by 10%. Black drivers are no longer the […]

03
Dec
2025

The Adachi Project’s New Film Series “Off the Record” Uses Art to Tell Untold Public Defender Client Stories

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The Adachi Project’s New Film Series “Off the Record” Uses Art to Tell Untold Public Defender Client Stories. The films were screened at the Roxie Theater and highlight the vital work of the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office. On Dec. 2, 2025, the Adachi Project screened three new films to a full house at the […]

13
Nov
2025

Impact Justice, SF Public Defender’s Office Announce “Homecoming Project” Reentry Housing Program Expansion to San Francisco

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Impact Justice and the SF Public Defender’s Office announced the launch of the Homecoming Project in San Francisco. The Homecoming Project pairs people who are recently released from prison with hosts in the community who can offer a spare room in their home for six months.

29
Oct
2025

Judge Dismisses Charges Against Anti-ICE Protester Who was Tackled by SFPD

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Deputy Public Defender Nuha Abusamra showed a judge SFPD body-worn camera footage, which revealed that SFPD officers had put hands on Leal before he even had a chance to respond to a verbal command. On Oct. 29, a San Francisco judge dismissed charges against Luis Leal, 29, who was arrested on June 8 in front of […]