Tag: Niki Solis

Public Defender and dedicated activist for criminal justice Jeff Adachi has passed. Jeff began in 1987 as a deputy public defender and, through his drive and dedication, became a five-time elected Public Defender for San Francisco. He set a goal to create an agency that would become a guiding light for all other offices around the country. It worked.

My first five minutes in court were a revelation. Law school prepared me to write motions, make oral arguments and meet with clients. But I was startled when the uniformed bailiff bellowed “All rise!” and rows of working people, family members from all walks of life and suited-and-booted attorneys all scrambled to their feet. I realized I had underestimated the concentrated power of one person in this courtroom constellation whose entrance required a public show of fealty: the judge.