Candidates for Public Defender

Not all candidates submit a statement of qualifications. A complete list of candidates appears on the sample ballot. Statements are volunteered by the candidates and have not been checked for accuracy by any official agency. Statements are published as submitted. Spelling and grammatical errors have not been corrected.

MANO RAJU

My occupation is Incumbent Public Defender.

My qualifications are:

As your elected Public Defender, I have given my heart and soul to providing San Franciscans with high quality legal representation.

I’m proud of furthering former Public Defender Jeff Adachi’s legacy by: expanding trial staff to record levels, developing a police accountability database, expanding immigration representation, and establishing innovative projects that liberate those improperly sentenced to prison.

My successful initiatives include: paying low income jurors to increase jury diversity; eliminating excessive probation terms that impede reintegration into society; and tripling our capacity to “clean up” criminal records– enabling housing, economic and educational opportunities.

I’ve elevated more women and people of color to serve in leadership positions than ever before.

My parents immigrated from a farming village in India. Their empathy and courage prepared me for a lifetime of litigating tough jury trials and training defenders to protect the constitutional rights of San Franciscans.

Endorsements:

· San Francisco Democratic Party

· San Francisco Labor Council

· San Francisco Tenants Union

· San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association

· South Asian Bar Association of Northern California

· Rose Pak Democratic Club

· Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi

· Congresswoman Jackie Speier

· Mayor London Breed

· Senator Scott Wiener

· California Treasurer Fiona Ma

· Assemblymember Phil Ting

· Assemblymember Matt Haney

· Former Assemblymember Tom Ammiano

· Former Senator Mark Leno

· Mutsuko Adachi

Board of Supervisors:

· President Shamann Walton

· Connie Chan

· Gordon Mar

· Myrna Melgar

· Aaron Peskin

· Dean Preston

· Hillary Ronen

Former Supervisors:

· Norman Yee

· Jane Kim

· Matt Gonzalez

· John Avalos

· Eric Mar

Public Defender Managers:

· Patricia Lee

· Former Police Commissioner Angela Chan

· Jacque Wilson

· Sandy Feinland

Votemano.com

Mano Raju

REBECCA SUSAN FENG YOUNG

My occupation is Criminal Justice Attorney.

My qualifications are:

The daughter of a first-generation Chinese father, I grew up in Harlem, and a small town in New York. The prejudice and exclusion my family experienced cemented my dedication to racial justice and equality.

With your vote, I’ll be the first woman and the first Chinese-American to be elected as San Francisco Public Defender. I’m honored for the opportunity to reinvigorate the standards of excellence San Francisco deserves.

Since graduating from Golden Gate University Law School, I’ve dedicated myself to defending San Francisco’s most vulnerable — 16 years in private practice, 19 with the Public Defender Office. I’ve tried 60+ cases, co-managed 52 felony attorneys and helped revolutionize the San Francisco Public Defender Office under Jeff Adachi. I launched the Bail & Homicide Units and innovated programs to support clients and combat racial injustice.

Currently, junior attorneys are made managers over veteran trial attorneys, who are battling skyrocketing caseloads. Transparency and equity have vanished. The office is bitterly divided. The result? Attorneys and staff are demoralized and unprepared. Our community members lack fair representation.

I’m running for Public Defender to make deep, lasting change. My extensive trial, management, mentoring and policy experience will renew Office diversity, ensure equity from within & restore fierce representation for our community.

Rebeccayoung4publicdefender.com

Endorsed by:

Geoffrey Francis Brown, San Francisco Public Defender, 1978-2001

Rebecca Susan Feng Young