Santa Clara Public Defender Sajid Khan recently announced he was running for District Attorney.
His announcement follows events of a year ago last summer when, in response a pointed column by Khan, Santa Clara DA Jeff Rosen threatened to initiate whistleblower retaliation proceedings against the Santa Clara County Deputy Public Defender.
“Santa Clara County needs a true progressive as its District Attorney. I will be that person,” he said. “As District Attorney for all people, I will be committed to truth-telling about systemic racism, shrinking mass criminalization, addressing root causes of crime, and bringing the criminal legal system in line with basic notions of justice and humanity.”
For the last 13 years, Khan has been a public defender serving Santa Clara County. He has fought for people’s constitutional rights, against systemic racism, and against mass incarceration. He has sat in the county jails and juvenile hall, representing countless individuals.
Khan was born in San Jose to Muslim immigrants from Madras, India. His mother worked as a laboratory scientist at O’Connor Hospital, and his late father was a physicist in the semiconductor industry who established a mosque and later a school, both in Santa Clara.
Sajid Khan speaks to Everyday Injustice about his candidacy and his vision for transformative change in Santa Clara County.
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