The crisis over San Francisco’s overwhelmed public defense system has intensified as the court held its seventh hearing before Judge Dorfman to address the ongoing “unavailability” of the Public Defender’s Office, resulting in a backlog of unresolved cases and a lack of communication between justice partners.
The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office testified before Judge Dorfman that their caseloads have increased due to the city’s tougher-on-crime approach, resulting in more complex and time-consuming litigation, and that the office’s declaration of unavailability was necessary to protect the constitutional rights of clients and maintain compliance with the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of effective assistance of counsel.
The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office is facing an overload of cases due to increased complexity of laws and digital evidence, leading to potential release of incarcerated people due to lack of defense attorneys and a call for immediate funding and resources.
San Francisco Chief Assistant District Attorney Ana Gonzalez accused the Public Defender’s Office of mismanagement and falsely claiming an emergency to avoid taking new felony cases, while the Public Defender’s Office argued that the declaration was necessary to protect defendants’ Sixth Amendment rights due to soaring caseloads, staff shortages, and unprecedented discovery burdens.