News and Press Releases

In May 2025, the Public Defender’s Office alerted the Court that we would be declaring unavailable one day per week in misdemeanor cases and select felony matters. This decision reflected the fact that our caseloads far exceeded those of our peers in the Bay Area as well as prevailing caseload standards from the American Bar Association. Even with taking this...

The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, along with Californians for Safety and Justice—co-sponsors of AB 321, the Better Informed Decisions (BID) Act—are celebrating that California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 321 into law on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. This bill, authored by Assemblymember Nick Schultz (D-Burbank), ensures that judges in the state’s criminal courts have more of an opportunity to review...

Today, an SF judge ruled that the teen accused of shooting and attempting to rob 49er Ricky Pearsall will remain in juvenile court instead of being transferred to adult court.

Public Defenders tried to get the man into a Mental Health Diversion Program, but the District Attorney’s Office objected. Instead, the case went to trial where a jury fully acquitted him.

Prosecutors tried to eke a felony plea out of an unhoused man who defended himself against a drunk security guard who challenged him to an alley fight. Instead, he demanded a trial. Public Defender Tal Klement pushed for a dismissal, and prosecutors finally saw that they had no case.