San Francisco Public Defender’s Office was live.
Speaker Jade Arellano WRAP Community Organizer
I am writing to invite you all to join our community members and the Public Defender’s Office for a press conference on Tuesday, September 21st at 12p.m. PT. outside the Hall of Justice in SF.
We invite you to join us in solidarity with the Public Defender’s Office and our community in our demand for justice.
As of August 30, 2021, hundreds of legally innocent people are waiting for trials –months past the deadline by which they must be given a trial under the law. More than one hundred of them are in jail, typically locked in their cells for 23 hours a day. Some have been locked up without trial for a year or more past their trial deadlines. We are seeking an end to the San Francisco Court’s now-routine practice of continuing criminal cases for months past the trial deadline, all while it holds jury trials in a variety of non-urgent civil cases for money damages. We need the SF Courts to expedite and give priority to criminal cases as required by law, and to speedily eliminate the backlog of criminal cases through all means necessary.
This is a racial and economic justice issue, not just a legal one. The San Francisco Courts’ disregard for basic human and legal rights is causing a humanitarian crisis. 53.5% of those in jail past their trial deadlines are Black, in a City that is only about 5.6% Black. Each extra day of incarceration, e-carceration, or delay exacts a long-term and irreversible toll on those whose rights are being trampled, as well as on their families, loved ones, and our communities. We are demanding that the Court follow the law and honor speedy trial rights. Open all SF courtrooms now!
The press conference will be at the front steps of the Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA 94103.
We ask that you please practice social distancing and wear a mask for this press conference. We encourage you to bring signs! We will be focusing on “Open SF Courts Now!” “Jailed Without Trial” and “Speedy Trial is a Right, Not an Option!”
We invite you to share the flyer attached with your networks and across different social media platforms. Please respond to this email directly to Mamta or Yessica, letting us know if you will be joining us OR if you would like to stay in the loop about upcoming events that we have planned to continue supporting our community inside of San Francisco jails.
OUR PEOPLE DESERVE JUSTICE WITHOUT JAILS!
HOPE YOU ARE ABLE TO JOIN US.
SEE YOU TUESDAY!
In Community,
Mamta and Yessica
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