Judge Lianne M. Dumas denied a motion to reduce the felony charge to a misdemeanor, despite arguments highlighting the nonviolent nature of the accused’s past criminal history, and held the accused to answer to Count I for second-degree burglary and Count II for possession of tools with the intent to break into a vehicle.
During a preliminary hearing in San Francisco Superior Court, cross-examination of two SFPD officers revealed testimony that contradicted the police report, as the officers stated that the accused requested a strip search, which is uncommon and not mentioned in the report, while the report stated that the officers suggested the strip search on their own suspicion.
Judge Frankel made a difficult decision to keep a man in custody after he violated his release terms, despite the fact that the violation was minor, as the court had already tried a less restrictive option and it had failed.
Judge Scott Millington held the accused in the attempted murder case to all six counts, including attempted murder, while criticizing San Francisco in-custody policies and making comments that prompted concern in a separate case.
Irie Benson was acquitted of attempted murder after a San Francisco jury found that he fired a gun in self-defense to protect himself and his elderly uncle from a knife-wielding stranger.
At a preliminary hearing in San Francisco, Judge Begert dismissed three of five charges due to gaps in the prosecution’s evidence, while two drug counts were allowed to proceed based on the totality of the circumstances.
Antoine Watson was acquitted of first- and second-degree murder and elder abuse, but convicted of involuntary manslaughter and assault likely to cause great bodily injury for pushing 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee, who later died from his injuries.
The motion hearing for the accused in San Francisco County Superior Court was delayed due to the unavailability of an arresting officer, while the accused is taking steps to address their substance abuse issues.
The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office’s declaration of unavailability for new felony cases is being discussed in public hearings, with the central question being whether the office is legally and ethically unable to accept new cases or if capacity remains for continued appointments.
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Harry Dorfman is presiding over hearings to address the strain on the city’s indigent defense system, as the Public Defender’s Office and the conflict defense panel struggle to ensure timely and qualified legal representation for felony defendants.
The jury in the Kevin Epps trial returned a verdict of Not Guilty of first-degree murder and second-degree murder, but Guilty of voluntary manslaughter and felon in possession of a firearm, raising questions about the proof of intent to kill and the application of self-defense laws.
Chief Attorney Matt Gonzalez argued in court that the judge has no authority to order the Public Defender’s Office to take on more felony cases, warning such an order would violate attorneys’ limits and clients’ constitutional rights.
Closing arguments in the murder trial of Kevin Epps concluded Tuesday morning in San Francisco Superior Court, with the defense arguing that the prosecution failed to prove that Epps did not act in fear when he used force against an intruder in his home, and a petition calling for the charges to be dismissed has gained nearly 600 signatures.
The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office argued that it does not have the capacity to take on additional felony cases due to excessive caseloads, and warned that any court order compelling it to do so would undermine supervision and risk constitutional violations.
The defense argued that the late disclosure of critical evidence in an eight-year-old DUI case violated the accused’s right to a speedy and fair trial, but the judge denied the motion to dismiss, citing the accused’s multiple bench warrants and participation in a diversion program.
In a San Francisco Superior Court trial, Dr. Judy Melinek, a world-renowned forensic pathologist, testified that the state’s forensic narrative was biased and contradicted by scientific evidence, while the prosecution’s expert, Dr. Christopher Liverman, was accused of ignoring the chaotic nature of the case and the suppressed criminal history of the alleged victim.
San Francisco’s Public Defender’s Office is operating in the “red zone” due to an overextended workload, and Chief Assistant Public Defender Hadi Razzaq argues that the system cannot continue to accept new felony cases without abandoning existing clients or violating the Constitution.
The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office is attempting to reframe the public defender’s claims of an overloaded system, while simultaneously touting their own success in prosecuting felony narcotics cases, resulting in a contradiction between the two narratives.
Assistant District Attorney Ana Gonzalez argued that the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office improperly declared itself unavailable to take on more cases, while Assistant Chief Attorney Hadi Razzaq defended the office’s staffing decisions and argued that the crisis is an emergency.
SAN FRANCISCO – The battle over whether the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office is legally “unavailable” to…