"After San Francisco Superior Court officials announced Tuesday that they would release some defendants from pre-trial custody who don't have an attorney to represent them, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins lashed out at the county's judges for being "complicit" in what she called the public defender's office's "dereliction of duty.""
"Court officials have said they're "facing an unprecedented number of misdemeanor cases, most of which must be brought to trial within 45 days." Since May, the San Francisco Public Defender's Office has declared itself unavailable one day per week in misdemeanor and some felony cases, due to what the office calls excessive workloads and understaffing. The Bar Association of San Francisco provided private attorneys to represent those defendants, but their caseloads have now increased, and they have said they will no longer accept new appointments."
""It is my ethical and legal mandate to represent our clients in an effective way, and our defenders understand"
San Francisco Superior Court officials will release some pre-trial defendants who lack an attorney. Court officials say they face an unprecedented number of misdemeanor cases that must be brought to trial within 45 days. Since May the San Francisco Public Defender's Office has declared itself unavailable one day per week in misdemeanor and some felony cases because of excessive workloads and understaffing. The Bar Association of San Francisco offered private attorneys but later stopped accepting new appointments as caseloads grew. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins accused the public defender's office of mismanagement, including double-staffing felony cases and avoiding plea deals. Public Defender Mano Raju rejected those accusations and emphasized ethical and legal representation mandates.
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