FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 12, 2024 CONTACT: PDR-MediaRelations@sfgov.org **PRESS STATEMENT** Despite SFPD’s Touted Reforms, Racial Bias and Excessive Force Persist SAN FRANCISCO — Today at City Hall, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) held a ceremony to mark the completion of the final of 272 reforms collectively known as the Collaborative Reform Initiative (CRI). These […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 3, 2024MEDIA CONTACT: PDR-MediaRelations@sfgov.org **PRESS RELEASE** All Charges Dismissed Against William Palmer, SF Sheriff’s Dept. Oversight Board MemberPalmer spent five months in jail; DA dismissed case on the eve of trial SAN FRANCISCO — On April 2, the SF District Attorney’s Office dismissed all charges against William Palmer, a member of […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 18, 2024PRESS CONTACT: Rabiah Alicia Burks, r.burks@nlada.org, (202) 452-0620 Public Defense Chiefs Push Back on Misleading Crime NarrativesThat Are Driving Policy This Election YearSpeaking at Gideon Day press briefing, chiefs encourage reporters to speak to public defenders for better-informed stories, and discuss ways public defenders promote community safety WASHINGTON — Chief […]
**MEDIA ADVISORY** The State of Public Defense During a Crime-Focused Election Year On Gideon Day, public defense chiefs from across the U.S. will hold a virtual press briefing to commemorate the establishment of an accused person’s right to counsel and to challenge misleading narratives about crime WHAT: Public Defender chiefs from across the United States […]
The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office stands by Deputy Public Defender Ilona Yañez, who was the subject of a recent misleading and erroneous report by ABC7 News’s Dan Noyes. The report omitted several key facts, misled viewers about the law and unfairly sought to impugn Ms. Yañez’s reputation. In publishing the story, ABC 7 News […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 23.2024 MEDIA CONTACT: PDR-MediaRelations@sfgov.org **PRESS RELEASE** Coalition to End Biased Stops Applauds SF Police Commission Vote to Implement Policy to Curb Racially-Biased Police Stops SAN FRANCISCO – On Wednesday night, the San Francisco Police Commission voted to enact an historic policy (Department General Order 9.07) to curb SFPD’s use of racially-biased pretext stops. This […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 7, 2024 MEDIA CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office | Jessie Seyfer | PDR-MediaRelations@sfgov.org | (415) 851-2212 **PRESS RELEASE** Traffic Safety, Civil Rights Groups Urge SF Police Commission to Override Police Union’s Stalling and Enact Policy Limiting Racially-Biased Pretext Stops SAN FRANCISCO – The Coalition to End Biased Stops, a coalition of more than 110 civil rights, traffic […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 30, 2024 MEDIA CONTACT: PDR-MediaRelations@sfgov.org **PRESS RELEASE** SF Jury Acquits Man Wrongly Accused of Commercial Burglary and Possession of Stolen Property SAN FRANCISCO – On Jan. 24, a San Francisco jury found David Wesser, 37, not guilty of felony charges related to a commercial burglary that took place in July. Deputy […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 17, 2024 MEDIA CONTACT: PDR-MediaRelations@sfgov.org **PRESS RELEASE** SF Jury Acquits Young Black Man Who Was Racially Profiled and Falsely Accused SAN FRANCISCO – On Jan. 11, a San Francisco jury acquitted Trevon Morgan, 21, after just 45 minutes of deliberations, of a baseless felony charge of attempted robbery of a man’s […]