Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 485, which would have provided job protections for chief public defenders, drawing disappointment from the California Public Defenders Association.
Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 485, which would have provided job security and due process protections for appointed public defenders in California, citing that decisions about hiring and removal of department heads should be made locally.
SB 485, authored by Assemblymember Eloise Reyes, has passed the Legislature and now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom, establishing new protections to ensure that Chief Public Defenders cannot be removed from their posts without cause.