Editor’s note: Late Tuesday it was reported that DA Jeff Rosen was dropping the whistleblower complaint filed against Public Defender Sajid Khan.
“I am withdrawing the county complaint that addressed workplace safety and security issues caused by a county employee’s social media posts. The complaint has become a distraction from a vastly more important aim: that we confront racism,” Rosen said. “A recent letter to me from Maha Elgenaidi of the Islamic Networks Group put it eloquently: ‘Our joint interests should be to improve our criminal justice system and to continue to have a safe and peaceful regional community.’ I, too, hope that we as a diverse community can unite behind our common fight against inequality.”
The following letter was submitted to the Vanguard with the original reference to drop the complaint removed. The letter is signed by 650 public defenders from across the county.
We are 650 public defenders from across the country writing in solidarity with our colleague, Santa Clara Deputy Public Defender Sajid A. Khan, and in support of his message that prosecutors must be held accountable for the ways they perpetuate an institution that systematically dehumanizes Black lives.
As our nation confronts how police control and silence Black and Brown lives, we were recently reminded how prosecutors are complicit in these injustices. In early June, Sajid Khan wrote a blog post describing how the menace of racism permeates district attorney’s offices. This was in the lead up to a nationwide, coordinated day of action on June 8, 2020, when over a hundred public defender offices simultaneously marched in support of Black Lives Matter. Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen threatened to silence Khan with a meritless whistleblower complaint, misconstruing his blog posts as threats of violence against prosecutors.
In the June 3rd blog post, titled “Be mad at the police, but be even madder at the DA’s offices that perpetuate and protect them,” Khan called out the simple fact that prosecutors and police are heavily intertwined, and argued we cannot just focus our anger and outrage at the police without also examining the interconnectedness of prosecutors. We agree with his assertion that DA’s offices bear responsibility for dehumanizing Black people and “feeding mass incarceration that is fueled and filled by black bodies.”
We join Khan’s call for systemic change from the roots. When he wrote in a blog post on May 30th, “No more trying to repair the irreparable” and “(w)e need to tear and shut this s— down and start over,” Khan was, in essence describing abolition of the Prison Industrial Complex.[1] There is nothing violent about Khan’s assertion that the inherent racism of the criminal (in)justice system is irreparable and that we need to re-envision ways of responding to societal harms. We vehemently agree with this message.
When DA Rosen claims that Khan, a South Asian Muslim man, caused a legitimate fear of violence by his written word, the connotation is not lost on us. It is worth seriously questioning whether a White public defender’s freedom of speech would be attacked in the same manner and with the same vengeance. Further, the characterization of Khan’s words as violent rings hollow when it is the system DA Rosen participates in and defends that often uses violence as one of its tools. Instead of inviting Khan to a conversation to address the issues, DA Rosen publicly nit-picked a few provocative words Khan used in an attempt to divert attention from his office’s role in dehumanizing Black lives. Using a tactic akin to a police interrogation, DA Rosen twisted Khan’s words, attempting to misrepresent his righteous exasperation and anger with a system that has disproportionately destroyed Black lives for far too long.
Retaliation for speech that challenges established power structures is not a new tactic. Time and time again, when the powers-that-be sense their actions maintaining white supremacy and other forms of hegemony are challenged, they seek to suppress critical speech. This includes attempts to divert public attention through counter-attacks against the voices of those who are most loudly identifying injustice.
All of us who work in the criminal legal system, including public defenders, must at the very least be willing to examine the roles we play in perpetuating systemic injustices. Prosecutors aren’t an exception and certainly need to be held accountable.
People generally respect and admire prosecutors. Historically prosecutors have been considered righteous protectors of vulnerable victims of crime who could do no wrong. That time is over. In large part thanks to Black women like Angela Davis and Michelle Alexander, community members are beginning to examine the pervasive inequities, racism and corruption in the criminal legal system.
Prosecutors are by-design the enforcers of the law. And they overwhelmingly utilize jails and prisons as the primary form of punishment in the United States. People of Color, and predominantly Black and Brown people, are disproportionately arrested, charged with crimes, convicted of crimes and face harsher sentences than White people. Those who have been criminalized, their families and communities, and anyone who works in the system and is willing to look, know prosecutors have played a major role in the dehumanization and criminalization of Black lives.
As public defenders we witness this dehumanization Khan wrote about regularly in the form of heightened charges and harsher plea offers for our Black clients, intentional exclusion of Black jurors through peremptory challenges, vilifying and degrading language used to discuss Black people and communities in our courtrooms, and daily mistreatment of Black clients, family members, and attorneys in our courts. We recognize there are individual prosecutors, Black and otherwise, who believe that our system should be free from racial disparities. But these injustices are systemic.
As we as a society reckon with the way law enforcement has historically targeted, surveilled, and forcibly occupied Black and Brown communities, so must we examine the role of prosecutors who incentivize and defend this behavior. The design and implementation of the system is for police and prosecutors to work together, holding great power and historical impunity for unethical, racist, and at times deadly actions.
Khan has asked all of us to acknowledge that the role of a prosecutor in the current system necessarily involves playing a major part in upholding White supremacy. His bravery in speaking truth to power should be a model for us public defenders as we try to shed light on and address the injustices we see and experience in the trenches. We too must not be afraid, and must not be silent.
In Solidarity,
Nuha Abusamra, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Alexander Acuña, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Akin Adepoju, Federal Public Defender
Delia Addo-Yobo, Still She Rises, Tulsa, OK
Timothy W. Ahearn, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Michelle Ahronovitz, Colorado State Public Defender, Colorado Springs
AJ, Legal Aid Society, NYC
Gabrielle Alexander, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Karina Alvarez, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Cynthia Amezcua, Orleans Public Defenders
Wayne Anderson, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office (Retired)
Jenny Andrews, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office
Bahar Ansari, The Legal Aid Society
Tristan M. Apple, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Jennifer L. Archer, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office
Brianna E. Argueta, Office of the Public Defender, Hobbs, NM
Raul Arroyo-Mendoza, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Kathy Asada, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Elbert Aull, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Jesse B., Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Sheryl M. Bailey, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office
Kasey Baker, Public Defender’s Office, 6th Circuit of Florida
Brett Balmer, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL
Anjali Bansal, Fresno County Alternate Defender Office
Ashley Barr, Los Angeles County Alternate Defender Office
Sharon Barr, Alaska Public Defender Agency
Genna Beier, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Rachel Belden, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Lindsay Bennett, Attorney and former public defender
Rachel Bennett, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Sydney A. Bennett, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office
Jeremy Bennie, Bronx Defenders
Barney Berkowitz, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Anjali Bhargava, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Nic Billings, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Laura Bixby, Orleans Public Defenders
Diane Black, Indiana Public Defender Council
Tiffiny Blacknell, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office
Alisa Blair, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office
Stephanie Huff Blaisdell, Office of Defense Services, State of Delaware
Brian Bloom, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Sarah Bluestone, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Tai C. Bogan, The Bogan Law Firm, APC
Charlyn Bohland, Office of the Ohio Public Defender
Kelson Bohnet, Kansas Death Penalty Defense Unit
Chelsea Bond, Solano County Public Defender’s Office
Bruce R. Bono, Committee for Public Counsel Services, MA
Marcus Bourassa, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
Rebecca Brackman, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Rebecca Bradlow, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Lauren Bramwell, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Michelle Brandemuehl, Office of the Public Defender, Rock County, WI
Jenny Brandt, Law Offices of Jenny Brandt
Eli Braun, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Joseph Breyer, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Will Brotherson, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Jane A. Brown, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office / Public Defenders for Racial Justice
Katie S. Brown, Office of the Public Defender, Franklin, VA
Marva C. Brown, Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn, NY
Katherine Buckley, Solano County Public Defender’s Office
Aimee Buentello, Law Office of Aimee Buentello
Laura Bull, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Maddy Bullard, Colorado State Public Defender
Alex Bunin, Chief Defender, Harris County (Houston), TX
Derwyn Bunton, Orleans Public Defenders
Adam Burke, Contra Costa County Alternate Defender Office
Dennis J. Burke, Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy
Julia Burke, Office of the Appellate Defender, NY
Thomas Burse, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office
Kyt Burton, Colorado Public Defenders – Fort Collins Regional Office
Spencer Cahoon, Office of the Ohio Public Defender
Katie Calhoun, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL
Peter Calloway, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Elizabeth Camacho, San Francisco Public Defender’s Office
Brandon M. Camarillo, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Jeff Campbell, Office of the Public Defender, Prince George’s County, MD
Habekah Cannon, Public Defender’s Office, Mecklenburg, NC
Kimberly Canter, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office
Sun Cao, San Joaquin Public Defender’s Office
Vicki Carlton, Office of the Public Defender, Roswell, NM
Felicia Carrington, Solano County Public Defender’s Office
Megan Casebeer, Tulare County Public Defender’s Office
Sylvia Cediel, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Rachel Cella, Alaska Public Defender Agency
Alison Chabot, Orange County Public Defender’s Office
Elizabeth Chance, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Alena Chapps, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office
James Chavez, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
Amy Cheng, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Ji-Hyun Cho, Napa County Public Defender’s Office
Claud Chong, Office of the Public Defender, Hartford, CT
Jeff Chorney, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Kaushiki Chowdhury, Still She Rises, Tulsa, OK
Michael T. CitaraManis, Office of the Federal Defender, District of Maryland
Cynthia Clancy, Office of the Public Defender, New Britain, CT
Kendra Clark, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Lauren Clark, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
Stephanie Clark, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Joe Clarke, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Shaylana Cleveland, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Jody Visconti Clow, Paralegal and Transcriber
Daniel Clymo, Sonoma County Public Defender’s Office
- Antonia Codling, Legal Aid Society Community Justice Unit, NYC
Angela Colaiuta, Office of the Public Defender, Thurston County, WA
Nick Collins, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Nathan Conn, San Francisco County Public Defender
Lauren Conner, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Cynthia Conti-Cook, Legal Aid Society, NYC
Yali Corea-Levy, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Andrew D. Correia, Office of the Public Defender, Wayne County, NY
Jean Covington, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Abbee Cox, Orleans Public Defenders
Brian Cox, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Cathryn Crawford, Lawndale Christian Legal Center, Chicago, IL
Ashley Craythorne, Orleans Public Defenders
Joseph Crumbley, Phillips Black
Aubrey Cunningham, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office
D’Adre Cunningham, Washington Defender Association
Nora T. Curran, Missouri Public Defender – Area 22
Matt Cuthbertson, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Samantha Dahan, Office of the Public Defender, Monroe County, IN
Matt Dalton, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Andrew daMota, Louisville Metro Public Defender, KY
Jordan Davis, Santa Cruz County Public Defender’s Office
Landon Davis, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Lisa Davis, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL
Thomas Denihan, Office of the Public Defender, Danbury, CT
Roopali Dhingra, King County Public Defender’s Office
Paul Dillon, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Bao Doan, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Casey Dobel, Island Bar Advocates, MA
Maria C. Doerflinger, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Jessica Dragonetti, Nashville Defenders
Karin Drucker, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Kevin Dubrall, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Salil Dudani, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
Rose Duffy, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Roger Dunn, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Bree Durso, Solano County Alternate Public Defender Office
Noran E., Brooklyn Defender Services
Deedrea Edgar, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Sarah Einhorn, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Ijeoma U. Eke, Federal Public Defender, Central District of California
Youseef Elias, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Caroline Elliot, Wake County Public Defender, Raleigh, NC
Emily Ellison, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Sarah Ellsworth, Office of the Public Defender, 10th Judicial District, MN
Bichara Endrawos, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Keonna England, St. Louis Trial 22nd Judicial Circuit
Jodie English, Court Appointed Capital Defender, Indiana
Monique E. Eniero, Alaska Public Defender Agency
David Epps, Santa Clara Alternate Defender Office
Janis Everett, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office
Meredith Fahn, Attorney at Law
Nora Fakhri, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Deke Falls, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
Ana Faoro, Snohomish County Public Defenders Association
Rachel Farkas, Georgetown Law
Margaret Farrand, Federal Public Defender, Central District of California
Sean Farrow, Legal Aid Society, NYC
James Faulkner, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Jaime Feder, Santa Clara County Alternate Defender Office
Sandy Feinland, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Maren Kay Felde, State of Wyoming Office of the Public Defender
Cesilia Fernandez, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Gabby Ferrara, Legal Aid Society, NYC
Thomas J. Ferrito, CJA Counsel, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Cecilia Fierro, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Cooper Findlay, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Rebecca Fish, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
Allison Fisher, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Dana Fite, Law Office of Dana Fite
Elizabeth Forester, Brooklyn Defender Services
Richard Foxall, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Brittany Francis, Center for Appellate Litigation (NYC)
Rachelle Francis, Snohomish County Public Defenders Association
Yoyi Franco, Santa Clara County Alternate Defender’s Office
Demetra Frazier, Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Practice, NYC
Lisa Freedman, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Annie Freitas, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office
Raffi Friedman, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
Susan Frommer, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Patrice Fulcher, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Tamara Gaffney, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Irma Gallardo, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Meredith Gallen, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office
Anisha Gandhi, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
KatieBeth Gardner, Still She Rises, Tulsa, OK
Colin Garrett, Federal Defender Program, Inc., Atlanta, GA
Diana Garrido, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Lauren Gartrell, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office
Anthony Gedeon, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Alexandra Georgieva, Office of the Public Defender, Torrington, CT
Barbara L. Gerber, Wisconsin State Public Defender
Mary Gibbons, Brooklyn Defender Services
Molly Gilbert, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Leah Gillis, Santa Clara County Independent Defense Counsel Office
Dana Goldblatt, Law Office of Dana Goldblatt
Amy Golinveaux, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Allison Gomez, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Taina Gomez, Solano County Public Defender’s Office
Alma D. Gonzalez, Center for Appellate Litigation (NYC)
Abraham Gonzales, Office of the Public Defender, Ottawa County, MI
Kimberly Gordon, Gordon & Saunders, PLLC, Seattle, WA
Steven M. Greenwald, Office of the Public Defender, Luzerne County, PA
Maeve Goodbody, The Goodbody Law Firm Inc.
Alicia Granse, Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office
Scott Grant, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Jennifer Gregory, Colorado State Public Defender – Grand Junction
Breanne Grey, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Arienna Grody, Office of the Public Defender, Jefferson County, AL
Jesse Grove, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Richard E. Gutierrez, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL
Caroline Hahn, Federal Public Defender
Firass S. Halawi, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Carrie Hall, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Sharon D. Hallstoos, Hallstoos Law Office, Dubuque, IA
Brett Hammon, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Mari Hanchar, Nashville Defenders
Kathleen Hardy, Public Defender, NY
Elizabeth Harrigan, Contra Costa Public Defender’s Office
Kelsey Harrington, Missouri State Public Defender’s Office
Brooke Harris, Center for Juvenile Law and Policy, Loyola Law School
Heather Harris, Santa Clara County Alternate Defender Office
Kleigh Hathaway, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Sarah K. Hawkins, Chief Deputy Public Defender, Clark County, NV
Scott Hechinger, Brooklyn Defender Services (former)
Seth Hemmelgarn, Missouri State Public Defender’s Office – St. Louis
David C. Hemingway, Federal Public Defender’s Office, Eastern Dist., MO
Krista Henneman, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Kelley Henry, Federal Defender
Andrea Hernandez, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Teresa B. Hernandez, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Elizabeth Herman, District of Columbia Public Defender Service (former)
Nicole Herron, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Marceliers Hewett II, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Everett A. Hewlett III, San Francisco Public Defender’s Office
Pardeep Heyer, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Alexa Hillery, Missouri State Public Defender’s Office
Nora Hirozawa, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
Megan Hiserodt, Colorado State Public Defenders
Lara Hoffman, Federal Public Defender, Central District of California
David Hogan, East Baton Rouge Office of the Public Defender
Brian Holbrook, Brooklyn Defender Services
James Holley, Colorado State Public Defender
Naomi Holliday, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Mariel Hooper, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Barksdale Hortenstine, Jr., Orleans Public Defenders
Emily Hosseini, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL
Arielle Hostetler, Solano County Public Defender’s Office
Erin Hough, Colorado Public Defender’s Office, Grand Junction
Samantha House, Colorado State Public Defender
Caitlin Howard, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
Bonnie Howerton, Office of the Public Defender, 10th Judicial District, MN
Mary Hoynacki, The Legal Aid Society, Queens, NY
Jesse Hsieh, Contra Costa County Alternate Defender Office
Jesse Huber, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Sarah Hudson, Department of Public Defense, Northwest Defenders, WA
Alyssa Huff, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Nicole Huffman, New Jersey Office of the Public Defender
Jennifer Hull, Orleans Public Defenders
Jonathan Ibarra, Office of the Public Defender, NM
Michael Isko, Office of the Public Defender, New Britain, CT
Karri Iyama, Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office
Mahkaea Jackson-Sams, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Mark Jacobs, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Rebecca Jacobstein, Committee for Public Counsel Services, MA
Katy Jacot, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office
Samantha Jaffe, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
Nakisha James, Public Defender Agency, Marion County, IN
Morgan Janssen, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Aaron Jaques, Ventra County Public Defender’s Office
Brie Jefferson, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Madeleine Jennings, Orleans Public Defenders
Patrick Jensen, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Ricardo Jensen, Office of the Public Defender, Pulaski, VA
Amrutha N. Jindal, Restoring Justice, Houston
Crystal Johnson, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office
Nataniel Johnson-Gottlieb, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Christine Jones, Office of the Public Defender, Hamilton County, OH
Sara A. Jones, Orleans Public Defenders
Zoe Jordan, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Raha Jorjani, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Shelan Joseph, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office
Jodi K., Public Defender Agency, Marion County, IN
Phoebe Kasdin, Still She Rises, Tulsa, OK
Akio Katano, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office
Alexandra Katz, Bronx Defenders
Lisa L. Katz, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Rebecca Katz, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Brian Kazmin, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Doug Keller, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
Stacy Kelly, Orange County Public Defender’s Office
Patricia Kemp, Federal Defenders, Southern District of Alabama
Beth Kendall, Santa Clara County Alternate Defender Office
Joyce Kendrick, Brooklyn Defender Services
Bryan Kennedy, Office of the Public Defender, Fairfax, VA
Jonathan Kerr, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Natasha Khalfani, Office of the Public Defender
Aneesa Khan, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Henna Khan, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Hussain A. Khan, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL
Song Kim, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Amy Kimpel, University of Alabama School of Law, Criminal Defense Clinic
Chrystalia King, Bronx Defenders
Naira Der Kiureghian, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Dave Klaus, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Emily Klein, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Kira Klement, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
David R. Kline, Brooklyn Defender Services
Susannah Knox, Office of the Public Defender, Charleston County
Gary Kohlman, District of Columbia Public Defender Service
Rachel Kokenes, Brooklyn Defender Services
Wan Qi Kong, Orleans Public Defenders
Amy Konstantelos, Law Offices of Amy Konstantelos
Amanda Koons, Harris County Public Defender’s Office
Mackenzie Koppenhofer, Brooklyn Defender Services
Ilana Kornfeld, Legal Aid Society, NYC
Christine L. Kroger, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office
Joan Kruckewitt, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Evan Kuluk, Contra Costa County Alternate Defender Office
Jonathan Laba, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Diego Alcala Laboy, Defensoria Legal LLC – San Juan, Puerto Rico
Lipou Laliemthavisay, Committee for Public Counsel Services, MA
Jennifer Lambert, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Jeff Landau, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Evan Langinger, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office
Tom Larkin, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Sally (Sarah) Larsen, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Scott W. Lawrence, Snohomish County Public Defenders Association
Jung Le, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Thomas Leaf, Assistant Public Defender, Danbury Judicial District, CT
Esther Lee, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Sung Lee, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Suan Leff, Nevada County (CA) Public Defender’s Office
Jacob Lemon-Strauss, Bronx Defenders
Angelica Leonardo, Solano County Alternate Public Defender Office
Michael Z. Letwin, Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn NY
Sydney Levin, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Brian Levy, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Larni Levy, Committee for Public Counsel Services, Boston, MA
Haley Licha, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Marci Linde, Law Office of Marci Linde
Brandon Li, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Jerry Lim, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office
Karl Lindemann, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Zachary Linowitz, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Robert Linthicum, Baltimore City Public Defender – Youthful Defender Unit
Renee Lizarraga, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office
Cassandra Lopez, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc
Janice Lu, Law Office of Janice Y. Lu
Nelson Lu, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office
Timothy Lyons, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Kenisha M., Center for Appellate Litigation (NYC)
Ying-Ying Ma, Legal Aid Society, NYC
Giovanni G. Macias, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Kirby Madden, Solano County Public Defender’s Office
Shauna Madison, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Sara Maeder, Brooklyn Defender Services
Zoie Mair, Legal Aid Society, NYC
Corrie Mainville, Office of the Public Defender, Torrington, CT
Hayley E. Malcolm, Orleans Public Defenders
Alphonso C. Mance, Jr., Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Allison A. Markoski, Wisconsin State Public Defender
Michael Marks, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
John Marlow, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Christopher Martin, Public Defender’s Community Law Office, Knox County, TN
Robyn G. Martin, Office of the Public Defender, Thurston County, WA
Travis Martin, Missouri State Public Defender’s Office – St. Louis
Shayla Marshall, Missouri State Public Defender, District Defender
Shannon Mastromarco, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Kelly Mattingly, Janesville, WI
Karen Maurer, Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy
Kristen McCannon, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Margaret McCarthy, Brooklyn Defender Services
Catherine McCulloch, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Ian McGrattan, Contra Costa Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Alexander McHugh, Brooklyn Defender Services
Kelli McIntee, Brooklyn Defender Services
Kenda H. McIntosh, Still She Rises, Tulsa, OK
Ross McMahon, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Clark Aaron McVey, Missouri State Public Defender’s Office
Aisha S. McWeay, Still She Rises, Tulsa, OK
Althea Mease, Office of the Public Defender, Hampton, VA
Pedro Melesio, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Molly Meltzer, Brooklyn Defender Services
Andres Virgin Men, District of Columbia Public Defender Service
Sara Mendes, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Alina Mendez, Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office
Ethan Mendoza, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Robert Meraz, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Jane Merrill, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Kelly M. Metters, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office
Dan Milechman, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Carlene Miller, Law Offices of the Public Defender, New Mexico
Eli Miller, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Jimmy Miller, Orleans Public Defenders
Nathanael T. Miller, Bronx Defenders
Jenna Rae Minor, Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn, NY
Sapna Mirchandani, Office of the Federal Defender, District of Maryland
David Moakley, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Jillian Modzeleski, Brooklyn Defender Services
Jakelin Molina, Public Defenders Office For Arlington County & City of Falls Church, VA
Christina Moore, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Daniel Moore, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office
Giulia Moore, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office
Kelsey Morales, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Jessie Morris, Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office
Theresa Moser, Legal Aid Society, NYC
Hassan Mukhlis, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office
Stefanie Mundhenk, Lexington, KY
Reid Murdoch, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Kathy H. Murphy, Court Appointed Counsel, Wayne County, MI
Tim Murphy, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Ricardo Murillo, Solano County Public Defender’s Office
Ryan Napoli, Neighborhood Defenders of Harlem
Nila Natarajan, Brooklyn Defender Services
Kyle Neddenriep, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Alexandra Negin, Federal Public Defender, Eastern District of California
Gideon Newmark, Washington State Office of Public Defense
Bert Nieslanik, Colorado Public Defender (retired)
Camila Nieves, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Cuong T. Nguyen, Law Office of Cuong T. Nguyen
Hien Ngoc Nguyen, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Sylvia Nguyen, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Takenya Nixon, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL
Allison Nobert, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office
Maya Nordberg, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Alice Noman, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Andrew Northrup, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Eli Northrup, Bronx Defenders
Nicholas R. O’Brien-Kovari, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office
Robert O’Brien, Federal Public Defender, Dist. of Nevada
Casi O’Neill, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Elaine Odeh, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL
Michael Ogul, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Tina Olson, State Appellate Defender Office
Emanuella Omori, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Jennie Otis, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Rick Owen, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Dyan S. Owens, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Nicole Owens, Federal Defender Services of Idaho
Lisa A Packard, Office of the Appellate Defender
Chantá Parker, Neighborhood Defender Service of Detroit
Sherise Parker, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office
Amanda Parks, Santa Clara County
Adele Patterson, Office of the Public Defender (Appeals), Hartford, CT
Sydney Peck, Brooklyn Defender Services
Kat Pecore, New York County Defender Services
Joanne Peña, Office of the Public Defender, Petersburg, VA
Katarina Peña, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Chandra Peterson, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
Ashley Marie Petrey, CJA for the District of Colorado
Sylvia Pham, Orange County Public Defender’s Office
Meghna Philip, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Meghan Piano, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Antoinette Pick-Jones, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Jay Pitchford, Sonoma County Public Defender’s Office
Laura Pitts, Public Defender Agency, Marion County, IN
Ashlee M. Placencio, Office of the Public Defender, Las Cruces, NM
Robert Pomeroy, Still She Rises, Tulsa, OK
Kevin Pormir, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office
Thea Posel, Attorney
Sophia Posnock, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Serena Premjee, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
Lauren Prentice, Colorado State Public Defender’s Office, Grand Junction
Sarah Prentice-Mott, 9th District Public Defender’s Office
Michelle Queirolo, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Dominique J. Quigley, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office
Thomas Quigley, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office
Krystal Quinlan, Mayland Office of the Public Defender
Ali Rad, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Moriah S. Radin, Federal Public Defender, Central District of California
Alejandra Ramirez, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Nikhil Ramnaney, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office
John Randolph Jr., King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Jonathan Rapping, Gideon’s Promise
Tom Rasinski, Louisville Metro Public Defender, KY
Nicholas Raskin, Legal Aid Society, NYC
Kate Raven, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Hadi Razzaq, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Jennifer Redding, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Ricky Reneer, Orange County Public Defender’s Office
Hope Faflick Reynolds, Kansas Appellate Defender Office
Karri Ridgeway, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Seann Riley, Bronx Defenders (former)
Angelica Rivera, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office
Gilbert Rivera, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Rosa E. Rivera, San Mateo County Private Defender Panel
Nathan M. Roberts, Office of the Public Defender, Pulaski, VA
Sheerin Roberts, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office
Kevin Robinson, Humbolt County Public Defender’s Office (retired)
Natalie Robinson, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Christine Rodriguez, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office
Zoe Root, Center for Appellate Litigation (NYC)
Julian Ross, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Kathryn Ross, Attorney at Law
Jared T. Rudolph, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Erin Ryan, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Molly Ryan, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Kelsey Ryburn, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Rachel Ryon, Snohomish County Public Defenders Association
Natalie Saba, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Nikita Saini, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Shelly Saini, Solano County Alternate Public Defender Office
Miyuki Sakoh, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Sonia Salazar, Los Angeles County Alternate Defender Office
Kristina Saleh, Still She Rises, Tulsa, OK
Allison R. Santer, Office of the Public Defender, Kanawha County, W.VA
Nitin Sapra, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Kim Savo, Federal Public Defender, Central District of California
Eric Schmidtke, Wright County Public Defenders Office
Laura Schook, Louisville Metro Public Defender, KY
Stefan Schweitzer, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Cynthia Scofield, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Vina Seelam, CNMI Public Defender’s Office
Maria Lopez Segoviano, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office
Rebecca Seldin, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office
Tiffany Senger, Office of the Public Defender, Christian County, IL
E. Shaffer, Brooklyn Defender Services
Monica Shah, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Zafir Shaiq, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
David A. Shapiro, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Ghazal Sharif , The G Law Firm
Winston Shaw, Office of the Public Defender, Santa Fe, NM
Jacquelyn Shelton, Brooklyn Defender Services
Marissa Sherman, Brooklyn Defender Services
Zain Shirazi, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Autumn D Shreve, Multnomah Defenders, Portland, OR
Ed Sidawi, Santa Cruz County Alternate Public Defender
Mahira Siddiqui-Mir, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Olivia Sideman, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Joanna Silver, Office of the Federal Defender, District of Maryland
Kaylie Simon, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Hillela Simpson, Bronx Defenders
Avi Singh, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Mishya Singh, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Anisa Sirur, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Kate Skolnick, Center for Appellate Litigation (NYC)
Danielle Hamilton Slate, Office of the Public Defender, Johnson County
Lizzie Sluchak, Office of the Public Defender, Baltimore City, MD
Derek Smith, Office of the Public Defender, Norfolk, VA
Jessica Smith, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Kevin M. Smith, Wisconsin State Public Defender
Susan M. Smith, Virginia Beach Public Defender’s Office
Susy Sobel, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Niki Solis, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Ilona Solomon, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Zachery Sosa, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Tiffany Spangler, Office of the Public Defender, Monroe County, IN
Joni Spears, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Sarah Spiegel, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Alfred J. Spielmann, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Caroline J. Spies, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Armilla Staley-Ngomo, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
Sara Star, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Christine Start, Solano County Alternate Public Defender Office
Wendy M. Steiner, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL
Luke R Stellpflug, Office of the Public Defender, 10th Judicial District, MN
Jared W. Stephenson, Orange County Public Defender’s Office
Bess Stiffelman, Appellate Panels
Tamica Stone, Missouri State Public Defender’s Office
Jenny Stoneburner, Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office
Lee Stonum, Orange County Alternate Defender Office
Lori Stuart, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Danielle Struzenski, Office of the Public Defender, CT
Fanny Suarez, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Claire Sullivan, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Erica Sutherland, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office
Robert Swales, New Hampshire Public Defender
Sean Swartz, Solano County Alternate Public Defender Office
Ruth Swift, Colorado State Public Defender
Rico Tagliaferri, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Stephanie Tan, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Denisse Tanasa, Solano County Public Defender’s Office
Michael Tarleton, Office of the Appellate Defender, Georgia
Colleen Taylor, Office of the Public Defender, Madison, WI
Olivia Taylor, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Tamani Taylor, Solano County Public Defender’s Office
Vanita M. Taylor, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Sarah Tenhoff, Alternate Defense Counsel, Grand Junction, CO
Anna Teruel, Contra Costa County Alternate Defender Office
Alexander Thayer, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Jermel Thomas, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
JoNell Thomas, Special Public Defender, Clark County, NV
Josh Thorn, Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office
Kate M. Thorstad, Orleans Public Defenders
Cassie Trueblood, Snohomish County Public Defenders Association
Lindsey Tuttle, Office of the Public Defender, 10th Judicial District, MN
Jane Win Thu, Orange County Public Defender’s Office
Quoc To, Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office
Van To, Orange County Public Defender’s Office
Ariel Toran, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Penny Trieu, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Damian Tucker, Office of the Public Defender, Hartford JD
George A. Turner Jr., Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office
Edward J. Ungvarsky, Northern Va. Capital Defender Office
Rosa V., Office of the Public Defender, Arlington, VA
Judyanne Vallado, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office
Kimberly Van Dyke, Alternate Defense Counsel, Grand Junction, CO
Michelle Vasquez, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Daniela A. Molina Velandia, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Mary Veral, Federal Defender Los Angeles
Sierra Villaran, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Eileen M. Virnig, Office of the State Public Defender
James D. Vitale, Chief Deputy Special Public Defender
Adrianna Vlacich, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Asha Vora, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Lara Wallman, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
David Walls, Office of the Public Defender, Fauquier and Rappahannock Counties, VA
Matt Waltz, Missouri State Public Defender’s Office – St. Louis
Alexis Watts, Office of the Public Defender, 5th Judicial District, MN
Michael Way, Brooklyn Defender Services
Katelyn Weaver, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Rachel Weber, Law Office of Rachel Weber
Jocelyn Weisbrich, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office
Douglas Welch, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Jennifer Welch, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Karen Wrenbeck, Office of the Public Defender, Monroe County, IN
Emily Whalen, Brooklyn Defender Services
Jackson Whetsel, Public Defender’s Community Law Office, Knox County, TN
Sara Whitaker, Kanawha County Public Defender, Charleston, WV
Carson White, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Danielle Whiteman, Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn, NY
Sophia Whiting, Federal Public Defender, Northern District of California
Alix Willard, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA
Loren Williams, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Noah Williams, Office of the Public Defender, Monroe County, IN
Whitney Williams, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Betsy Wilson, Sentencing Advocacy Group of Evanston, IL
Michael J. Wilson, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Heather Wise, Law Office of Heather Wise
Juliana Wishne, Brooklyn Defender Services
Lilah Wolf, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office
Barbara Wolfe, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office
Sara Wolkensdorfer, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Jennvine Wong, Legal Aid Society, NYC
Nora Wong, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Brendon D. Woods, Public Defender of Alameda County, CA
Marynella Woods, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Michi Yamamoto, Solano County Alternate Public Defender Office
Andrea A. Yamsuan, Federal Public Defender
Belle Yan, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Sormeh Yasaie, Solano County Public Defender’s Office
Samantha Yee, San Francisco Public Defender’s Office
Iris Ying, Brooklyn Defender Services
Amy Yellen, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Addie Young, Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office
Emi Young, Contra Costa County Alternate Defender Office
Jenny Young, Missouri State Public Defender’s Office
Lorinda Meier Youngcourt, Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and Idaho
Zina Zaia, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office
Negad Zaky, Zaky Law
Elma Zapata, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Tiffany Zendejas, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office
Madeline Zepeda, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office
Lesley Zork, District of Columbia Public Defender Service
[1] A term coined by Angela Y. Davis which describes the overlapping interests of government agencies and industries that use surveillance, policing, and imprisonment as solutions to economic, social and political problems.
