Ethics/Professional Responsibility
Feb. 13, 2026
San Francisco DA says judges fear public defender's challenges
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins accuses the the San Francisco Public Defender's Office of abusing peremptory challenges to remove a Drug Court judge for ideological reasons, escalating tensions over diversion policies and courtroom control.
The San Francisco District Attorney has accused the Public Defenders' Office of forcing judges to "bend the knee" through use of peremptory challenges, after a Drug Court judge was challenged more than 70 times in recent weeks.
DA Brooke Jenkins accused Public Defender Manohar Raju's office of "judicial forum shopping" by issuing challenges to recently assigned San Francisco Superior Drug Court Judge Murlene Randle over "ideological" differenc...
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