Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Jan. 21, 2026
SF public defender hires outside counsel amid contempt fight
San Francisco Public Defender Manohar Raju hired outside counsel as contempt proceedings continue over his office's refusal to accept new cases, prompting Judge Harry Dorfman to delay hearings and stress court objectivity.
San Francisco Public Defender Manohar Raju has hired outside counsel for contempt hearings after his office refused to accept at least 15 cases since last week, despite a recent court order barring it from declaring itself "unavailable" for new clients.
The order to show cause hearing for Raju and Chief Assistant Public Defender Matt Gonzalez on Tuesday was continued for three weeks after it emerged they had hired Kory DeClark of BraunHagey & Borden LLP.
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