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Tag: San Francisco Public Defender’s Office

50+ organizations demand San Francisco release people from jails to mitigate...

“The proven and most effective way to combat the spread of infectious diseases inside of jails is to reduce the imprisoned population and release people back into their communities.” - No New SF Jail Coalition

Public Defender seeks immediate release for people in jail at heightened...

“Given the public health emergency posed by coronavirus, my office is seeking the immediate release of all incarcerated people sentenced to county jail in San Francisco who have less than six months left to serve,” said Public Defender Mano Raju.

San Francisco Public Defender’s Office responds to the ongoing investigation regarding...

The Office of the Public Defender does not condone or support excessive police actions ever. We regularly see the fear, trauma and lasting damage to our indigent clients – largely Black and Brown people – when the police execute warrants by breaking down doors, flashing guns and handcuffing occupants. To the extent Mr. Carmody experienced such treatment, we support his efforts to seek redress.

SF County Jail future debated as prisoners face sewage floods, roof...

I’m writing to bring awareness to the current problems we face at 850 Bryant St., on the Seventh Floor in the San Francisco County Jail. Not only for months do the toilets constantly overflow, causing us to have to smell fecal matter all day, but also they serve us dinner at 3:30 p.m. every day but let the trays sit in the hallway for two hours before we receive them, so we have only cold food every single meal. Now, in addition, when it rains, the roof leaks rusty water on my bed.

Public defenders stand up to money bail

In response to a pair of major statewide developments in the fight to abolish money bail, San Francisco public defenders will file challenges in every criminal case in which bail is set. San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi announced today that his office has filed 282 challenges in current felonies and misdemeanors since Oct. 10, representing 14 times the amount typically filed in the same period. Each challenge results in a hearing in which a judge must consider the defendant’s financial circumstances and alternatives to incarceration rather than simply relying on a pre-set dollar amount.

SF Public Defender Jeff Adachi launches unit to combat booking bias

Police booking charges play an outsized role in creating the San Francisco justice system’s dramatic racial disparities, a new study reveals, prompting San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi to announce today the formation of a team to scrutinize the early charges for bias. The Pretrial Release Unit, comprised of two deputy public defenders and one investigator, will launch Oct. 1. The team will intervene between arrest and arraignment to ensure cases have not been overcharged.

Acquittal, hung jury for Michael Smith, beaten by BART cops on...

A young man shown on video in a physical confrontation with BART police has been acquitted of four counts of battery on a police officer, San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi announced Thursday, Dec. 16. Jurors deliberated two days before finding Michael Smith, 22, not guilty Wednesday afternoon of the four counts. Jurors deadlocked 9-3 in favor of acquittal on two additional counts of battery on a police officer and one count of resisting arrest. Prosecutors on Friday are expected to announce whether they will dismiss the remaining charges or retry Smith.

Aunt acquitted in niece’s hit-and-run death

A woman charged with child endangerment after a hit-and-run driver fatally struck her 2-year-old niece as the family crossed against a traffic light was acquitted of all charges yesterday, San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi announced. Jurors deliberated a day and a half before clearing Loyresha Gage, 26, of felony child endangerment resulting in death and misdemeanor child endangerment.

Public Defender, Quattrone Center to study consequences of race, justice in...

The San Francisco Public Defender’s office has partnered with a national research and policy hub to embark on a broad study to identify racial disparities in San Francisco’s criminal justice system. The Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Law School will work hand in hand with the Public Defender’s Office to gather a broad range of statistics providing insight into drug arrests, traffic stops, plea deals, sentences and bail.

Jeff Adachi wins national award for defending the poor

The National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) has selected San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi as its 2012 Reginald Heber Smith Award winner. “The Reggie” celebrates the outstanding achievements and dedicated services of an attorney for contributions made while employed by an organization providing civil legal services or indigent defense services.

Mo’ MAGIC and BMAGIC equip thousands of children for school Aug....

More than 2,000 in the Fillmore will be the focus of the Mo’ MAGIC BBQ and Backpack Giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 11. And more than 3,000 Bayview schoolchildren will receive free backpacks, school uniforms, educational supplies and access to free resources on Saturday, Aug. 18.

Bayview residents, organizations to restore Youngblood Coleman Park

On June 26, a group of committed residents kicked off a campaign to restore Youngblood Coleman Park to its former glory. On the first of what will be many planned service days, residents toured the park, brainstormed ideas for public art and children’s activities and learned about the area’s history.

The First Amendment right to record the police

Support Fly Benzo twice on Friday, Jan. 6: 1) Pack the courtroom for the first day of his trial on Friday, Jan. 6, 9 a.m., at 850 Bryant in Department 22; 2) Party with Fly at his ‘Conscious Minds at Work Reggae, Arts and Hip-Hop Mixer & Fundraiser’ on Friday, Jan. 6, 7 p.m., at Twin Space Continuum, 2111 Mission St., Third Floor #300, San Francisco. To learn more, see "Police critic Fly Benzo keeps catching hell since police murder of Kenneth Harding" at https://sfbayviewnews.wpenginepowered.com/2011/police-critic-fly-benzo-keeps-catching-hell-since-police-murder-of-kenneth-harding/

Meet Yvette Mari Robles, former director of BMagic and 10 Women...

The 10 Women Campaign, to be held this year on Thursday, Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m. – come at 6:30 for the reception – at ODC Theater, 3153 17th St., San Francisco, is a biennial celebration of women whose risk-taking work in law, politics, activism, business, philanthropy and the arts empowers women.

Rev. Pinkney is coming to town with ‘Lessons from the Battle...

Rev. and Dorothy Pinkney have been leaders in the fight against the corporate (Whirlpool) and state government’s direct takeover of the poor, largely African-American Rust Belt town of Benton Harbor, Michigan, the first American city to be placed under Michigan’s draconian new Emergency Financial Manager law. Join them on their Justice Tour in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and Fresno Sept. 27-Oct. 1.

Judge declares SF Housing Authority injunctions unconstitutional

A judicial decision handed down today effectively ends the San Francisco Housing Authority’s use of city-wide nuisance injunctions and dismisses all pending criminal cases against alleged violators, San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi and ACLU of Northern California Legal Director Alan Schlosser announced.

More videos reveal illegal searches, theft, brutality by SFPD

A San Francisco police officer accused of stealing items from a man’s residential hotel room following a drug arrest has been captured on video in a second incident, appearing to leave a residence at the Julian Hotel with property never booked into evidence.

Public Defender appoints Matt Gonzalez as chief attorney

Matt Gonzalez, a longtime civil rights and criminal defense attorney and former Board of Supervisors president, was appointed Feb. 22 as chief attorney of the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office. In 2010, San Francisco public defenders won 48 percent of their trials for their clients.

Public Defender’s ‘Innocent Until Proven Guilty’ takes aim at bias in...

“People should be judged by character, not color,” San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi said. “In this PSA we are trying to get people to reflect about their own possible biases and racial profiling. It’s a reminder that nationality, race or sexual orientation doesn’t matter – everyone has a right to be judged individually.”