March 27, 2025
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Latest News
“Our most vulnerable people who are justice-involved often go unsupported by the systems that are there and designed to try and support them because we’re not necessarily identifying them at the moment that we need to.”
Noah Cox, LA County Deputy Public Defender, joined the @publicdefenselesspodcast to spotlight the work his Neurocognitive Disorders Team does to help clients with cognitive disorders connect to the support services they need to build a foundation of stability in their lives.
Listen to the full conversation through the link in our bio.
Join us on Thursday, March 12th at 7pm for a book signing event, co-hosted by the LA County Public Defender’s Office, celebrating the release of PFJ co-founder and former public defender @galvinalmanza `s new book The Price of Mercy: Unfair Trials, a Violent System, and a Public Defender’s Search for Justice in America. The evening will feature a discussion between Emily and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Percival Everett and opening remarks by Los Angeles County Public Defender @rdg_lapubdef. In The Price of Mercy, Galvin Almanza pulls back the curtain on the dysfunction of an overburdened legal system—exposing practices such as inflated police overtime, perverse prosecutorial incentives, and court processes that too often harm the very people they claim to protect.
Event + Book Combo tickets available through the link in bio.
In observance of Presidents’ Day, our Office will be closed on Monday, February 16. We will resume regular operations on Tuesday, February 17.
A BIG WELCOME to an our newest class of Deputy Public Defenders! For their first day, our Public Defender @rdg_lapubdef swore them in and Chief Deputy Justine Esack and Chief of Staff John Mathews welcomed them by engaging in a Q&A panel discussion.
This February 2026, our office will be providing record clearing services at various locations around LA County!
For more information click the link in our bio đź”—
During #BlackHistoryMonth, we honor the legacy, resilience, and leadership of African Americans and the many ways Black history has shaped Los Angeles County.
We also must confront the reality that Black residents are disproportionately incarcerated compared to their share of the population—an ongoing reflection of systemic racism in our criminal legal system.
As public defenders, we are committed to zealously advocating for all our clients and working every day to dismantle a legal system built on racial injustice.
January is Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month. The Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office supports survivors of human trafficking at every age by advocating for trauma-informed, survivor-centered responses within the legal system.
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For trafficked youth, that means supporting Safe Harbor laws that redirect minors from prosecution to care—because no young person should be punished for surviving exploitation.
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“The duality of being a defendant in one system and a victim in another system enhances the problem that we’re seeing we’re retriggering victims of trafficking by making them face charges in the juvenile setting and then be a victim testifying against the trafficker in the adult setting.” -Shelan Joseph, Special Counsel before the California Senate Public Safety Commission.
Ricardo D. Garcia, L.A. County Public Defender, appeared on Univision 34 Los Angeles to discuss, in spanish, the recently implemented AB 1261. This bill requires the state to provide legal representation for immigrant youth in the State of California.
