February is nationally recognized as Black History Month but here at the Public Defender’s Office, every month is dedicated to uplifting Black, Indigenous and People of Color’s voices. We embody our County’s Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative (ARDI) to boldly articulate and implement an anti-racist agenda that guides, governs and increases our Department’s ongoing commitment to fighting racism in all its dimensions, especially racism that systemically and systematically affects our Black clients.
In 2020, we created the Racial Justice Act (RJA) Unit to challenge discriminatory practices, such as disparities in charging, convictions, and sentencing or racially coded language by individuals in a case or during trial. The RJA Unit currently assists trial attorneys in the preparation of motions, working with experts to analyze and interpret statistical data, and in mounting a defense. The RJA Unit looks at historical bias in the criminal justice system and how it affects trials, sentencing and legal procedures.
Financial hardships often steer talented law students away from work opportunities that serve the public interest. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our post-bar law clerk, law clerk and internship programs. Your support is critical to train the next generation of passionate defenders. Your contribution will enable deserving recipients to provide high-quality holistic defense for our indigent population and work alongside our attorneys, social workers, and paralegals in both our adult and juvenile trial divisions, in addition to our collaborative work in many of the specialized courts.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Sincerely,
RICARDO D. GARCÍA
Public Defender
Masters of Law Degree in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine School of Law
Kozyak Tropin Throckmorton Litigation Skills Adjunct Faculty Award Recipient
2018-19 Innovative Service in the Public Interest Award
2017-2018 HOPE Pro Bono Challenge Outstanding 1L Award
McGeorge Student Ambassador
Public Service Award Recipient
2020 Nancy Stuart Public Interest Award Recipient
George and Katrina Woolverton Public Service Award
2020 Outstanding Clinical Student Award
2020 Dean's Service Award
2019 & 2018 Mexican American Bar Foundation Scholar
For more information or if you’d like to further collaborate in achieving our Vision & Mission, please contact our Director of Strategic Growth & Development, Natasha E. Khamashta (562) 715-3410 nkhamashta@pubdef.lacounty.gov
Contributions or gifts to the County of Los Angeles or to any of its departments are tax-deductible if they are for public purposes. Los Angeles County is a chartered county and is a political subdivision of the State of California. The California Revenue and Taxation Code allows the same itemized deductions for California personal income tax purposes as are allowed under Internal Revenue Code Sections 170(a) and 170(c) (1) of the Internal Revenue Code which permit an itemized deduction for contributions and gifts to, or for the use of, a political subdivision of any State, if the contribution or gift is made for exclusively public purposes.
Los Angeles County’s Federal Identification Number is 95-6000927, and its California Tax Identification Number is 800-9593.