1st Black Public Defender of Alameda County. Currently the only Chief Black PD in CA. We must do better. #EndMassIncarceration #carenotcages #clientsfirst
Sep 23, 2022 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
This is a must read!
The report shows CA in 18/19 spent
2 billion on prosecution & 1.1 billion on indigent defense
10,500 employed by DA offices &
4,305 employed by PD offices
This is not remotely close to a "fair" system of justice #FundPublicDefense lao.ca.gov/Publications/R…
It shows the gross imbalance of resources dedicated to prosecution over protecting the 6th amendment right to counsel. CA spending on indigent defense is 55% of what it spends on prosecution. That is nearly 2 to 1! The solution is clear - We need to #FundPublicDefense
Aug 28, 2021 • 8 tweets • 6 min read
I’ve been asked about my plan to increase representation of Black people on juries. This thread outlines FIVE steps every state should take to increase representation on juries. See what has been done in CA & what is left to accomplish. #JuryofYourPeers#BlackLivesMatterOnJuries1. Eliminating the felony exclusion. Over 30% of Black men in CA were excluded from jury service b/c of a felony conviction & it didn’t matter how old it was... until we passed SB310 by @NancySkinnerCA. We fixed that. #EndFelonyJuryExclusionsfchronicle.com/opinion/openfo…
