WOODLAND, Calif. — Yolo County Public Defender Tracie Olson and her office joined public defenders across California and the nation this week in a coordinated day of action protesting chronic underfunding, excessive caseloads and what advocates described as a growing threat to the constitutional right to counsel.
Participants wore black in courtrooms, jails and public spaces to signal what organizers called a breaking point for public defense systems.
While the demonstration was national in scope, the message carried direct relevance in Yolo County, where defense attorneys face the same structural pressures cited in larger jurisdictions: too few lawyers, too many cases and limited resources to meet expanding legal demands.
Organizers said the action was intended to make clear that the crisis is not confined to San Francisco or Los Angeles, but extends to counties across the state.
The immediate trigger for the protest was the sanction imposed on Mano Raju, the San Francisco chief public defender, who was held in contempt of court and fined $26,000 after refusing to accept additional felony cases one day each week because of excessive workloads.
Supporters said that decision was an ethical attempt to protect existing clients from diluted representation. An appellate court has since stayed the sanction while the matter is appealed.
For Olson, the case illustrated a problem that reaches far beyond one courthouse.
“In San Francisco, the Chief Public Defender made the ethical decision to stop accepting appointment on a limited number of new cases in order to avoid harming existing clients. For that, he was fined $26,000,” Olson said.
She then drew a direct connection to counties throughout California, including Yolo.
“The problem facing San Francisco — too few people to do too much work — is the same problem affecting public defenders up and down the state. That’s why we are wearing black today.”
Olson said the issue goes to the core of the Sixth Amendment guarantee that every person accused of a crime has the right to legal representation.
“Everyone has the right to an attorney, but unless that attorney has the time necessary to do what’s necessary to defend their client, it’s a right in name only.”
She also pointed to long-standing disparities in how prosecution and defense are funded.
“Every prosecutor’s budget far exceeds every public defender’s budget because the state and federal governments give money to prosecutors that they don’t give to defenders.”
Olson argued that more balanced investment would not only improve fairness in court, but would also strengthen communities.
“If a new rule required equal funding, you would see improvements to public safety because public defenders would be better able to help clients when they need it the most.”
The legal foundation for those concerns dates back decades. In Gideon v. Wainwright, the U.S. Supreme Court held that states must provide attorneys to people facing criminal charges who cannot afford counsel.
Public defense leaders say that mandate is hollow when attorneys are assigned more cases than they can ethically or effectively handle.
San Francisco officials believe active cases there have risen 65 percent since 2019.
Organizers attributed that increase in part to more complex prosecutions, allegations of overcharging or mischarging in some matters, and growing volumes of surveillance evidence that require time-intensive review. Defense leaders say similar trends are appearing elsewhere, including mid-sized counties that often receive less public attention.
Raju said his office’s actions were driven by constitutional obligations, not defiance.
“The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office remains unwavering in our constitutional duty to provide effective assistance of counsel to every person we represent,” Raju said. “We serve a unique role in our justice system as guardians of due process. Having excessive workloads is a conflict of interest for our existing clients, which is why declaring ourselves unavailable in a limited number of new cases is what’s necessary for us to meet our constitutional obligations.”
Brendon Woods, chief defender in Alameda County, said the protest was meant to show that constitutional rights depend on practical resources, not just legal promises.
“Wearing black marks a constitutional breaking point,” Woods said. “When public defenders are punished for refusing unconstitutional workloads, the right to counsel becomes a right in name only. It means nothing unless that lawyer has the resources to fight your case.”
Woods also warned that what happened in San Francisco could soon be repeated in other counties if lawmakers fail to act.
“What’s happening in San Francisco is a preview of what will happen in other counties unless we get more funding,” Woods said. “We can’t protect our clients’ rights without proper resources. Our society and our safety will suffer, especially our overpoliced and vulnerable Black, Brown and immigrant communities.”
Organizers also cited California’s Public Defense Workloads and Staffing Report, issued pursuant to AB 625, which called for more attorneys, investigators, social workers and support staff. They said national workload studies have similarly concluded that many public defenders carry caseloads well above sustainable standards.
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