Mar. 12, 2026
Attorneys defend SF public defender amid contempt dispute
Judge Harry Dorfman ruled that San Francisco Public Defender Manohar Raju ignored a lawful order to accept new indigent clients despite claims the office lacks resources.
San Francisco Public Defender Manohar Raju found support Wednesday from legal experts and defense attorneys who said a contempt ruling against him highlights a broader problem: Public defender offices cannot meet their constitutional obligations without significantly more resources.
"This is a resource issue with the government. Government has to provide a competent counsel to the indigent defendant and if they're withholding sufficient resources for that to happen, you&#...
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