L.A. County Public Defenders Union

The LAPD has long perpetuated a culture of unchecked power and brutality. We demand real transparency, accountability, and structural change, not more cover-ups that harm the public.
www.latimes.com/california/s...

LA’s Nathan Hochman is dropping/weakening cases against police officers, even as victims’ families demand accountability. This isn’t justice—it’s a rollback at a time when communities are calling for real consequences for law enforcement abuse.
www.latimes.com/california/s...

Single-occupancy cells are not a “perk.” They are about basic safety and dignity. Using overcrowded cages as leverage for “good behavior” is cruel, dangerous, and unconstitutional.
calmatters.org/commentary/r...

California created an office to investigate deaths in county jails after a record number of deaths. But nearly a year later, that office hasn’t completed a single review, leaving families without answers and accountability still out of reach.
calmatters.org/commentary/2...

Pam Bondi claimed Culver City is overrun by crime even though official stats show differently (& Angelenos found this claim laughable anyways). Sadly, she’s just repeating the “lock everybody up” rhetoric that has done so much damage.

www.latimes.com/politics/sto...

Years of underfunding have left public defense systems stretched beyond capacity, and SF is next in line. When prosecutors have the resources they need but #publicdefenders are buried in cases, the scales of justice are no longer balanced.
www.dailyjournal.com/article/3882...

Oregon’s Supreme Court dismissed 1,400+ cases because the state failed to provide #publicdefenders. The underfunding of public defense undermines the justice system and is a blatant violation of people’s constitutional right to an attorney.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

In 2025, one person died every week in LA County jail custody. Deaths spiked 44% as facilities remained crowded and unsafe. This isn’t “custody–it’s state-sanctioned harm that does nothing to advance justice.

lapublicpress.org/2026/01/one-...

An #LAPD officer says she was retaliated against for refusing arbitrary arrest quotas and speaking up about misconduct. Reassignment, isolation, and then forced out. This is what “accountability” looks like inside LAPD.

davisvanguard.org/2026/01/offi...

When public defenders and workers need a champion, @hugoforcd13.bsky.social shows up! Every time. We’re proud to endorse Hugo Soto-Martinez in the June 2nd primary.

We’re ALL IN for Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez–a proven ally of public defenders and working people. Eunisses Hernandez doesn’t just talk about justice—she fights to transform LA’s criminal legal system and hold it accountable. Vote Eunisses Hernandez in the June 2nd primary!

Women incarcerated at Century Regional Detention Facility allege sexual abuse by guards—forced acts, groping, and retaliation when they reported it. The jail system in LA is a nightmare and too many of our clients have had their lives shattered by their time inside.
www.latimes.com/california/s...

LA County told its workers to tighten their belts meanwhile the County CEO took a $2M payout behind closed doors. Funny how “budget constraints" only apply to workers–but never management. Absolutely disgraceful.

laist.com/news/politic...

This headline is complete bullsh*t. The judge is giving public defenders the middle finger—accept more guilty pleas, rush cases, and take on massive + unsustainable caseloads. That’s not justice; it’s contempt for the right to counsel.

sfstandard.com/2026/01/12/p...

Let’s be clear: allowing LAPD to keep 40mm projectile launchers and tear gas means sanctioning the use of force against people exercising their constitutional rights. That is unacceptable.
www.latimes.com/california/s...

Another life has been lost inside LA’s #MensCentralJail and now a homicide investigation is underway. This is not an isolated incident. It’s the product of a cruel system that cages people in horrific conditions.

www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/i...

Far too many people with cognitive disabilities are swept into the criminal legal system—and punished instead of helped. Our office is proving there’s a better way. We’re pushing for diversion, care, and treatment. The rest of the system should catch up!

www.npr.org/2025/11/01/n...

Public defenders everywhere are unionizing! When caseloads are unsustainable, clients and their attorneys pay a huge price. Unions are how workers of all backgrounds can stand up!

onlabor.org/public-defen...

Contributor: Prison methods are as bad as you've heard, and spilling onto the streets The dehumanizing conditions long deployed against incarcerated people are now expanding beyond prison walls.

2. Our recent post about Medical Health Assistants highlights how LA can prioritize #carenotcages.

www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...

1. Believe us when we say that #LACountyJail is worse than you can imagine. As public defenders, we have seen how dystopian and traumatic the system is for our clients. This kind of incarceration doesn't reform people, it destroys them.

Incarcerated Volunteers Are Caring For Peers' Mental Health. LA County Wants To Expand The Program L.A. County supports program where incarcerated peer caregivers aid mentally ill inmates. Board aims to triple FIP step-down units by 2025, but compensation and post-release employment concerns arise....

2. The LASD Deputies in the unit are supporting the MHAs and the MHAs help those suffering and also assist the nurses that staff the modules. This program, which started in 2023, shows that there is a better way.

centerforhealthjournalism.org/our-work/rep...

1. Last week, this program graduated 10 new Mental Health Assistants (MHAs)–incarcerated men who assist those with psychiatric needs to step up from the forensic impatient level. It is care in a locked setting but the place is calm and peaceful.

LA’s #publicdefenders came together for a well-deserved night of celebration and connection. We’re grateful for the incredible members of Local 148 and proud to serve this amazing community of 10 million Angelenos!

The @aclusocal.bsky.social is spot on: Angelenos deserve better. DA Hochman claims to be a centrist. But in his first year he brought back the death penalty, opposed the #RacialJusticeAct and is using extreme charging practices.

www.aclusocal.org/publications...

Masked ICE agents don’t “keep us safe”—they terrorize our communities. Ending anonymous raids is the bare minimum. No one wielding state power should ever be allowed to hide their face from the people they’re targeting.

www.latimes.com/california/s...

Public defenders have been doing the heavy lifting on the #RacialJusticeAct for years—filing motions, uncovering bias, and fighting case by case. Anyone calling it “underused” hasn’t been paying attention.

www.latimes.com/opinion/lett...

California gave its prison system $17.5B—and it still blew past its budget, overspending $850M in just three years. While our communities are told to “do more with less,” prisons burn through public dollars with zero accountability.

calmatters.org/justice/2025...

L.A. showed us that trained crisis teams work— they save lives and de-escalate harm. So why are we still waiting to expand them citywide? Every delay costs lives.

laist.com/news/crimina...

#Prop36 supporters call it “safety.” What they mean is: lock up the poor, the sick, and the desperate. Our neighbors, and our clients, need care to get better, not cages. #Prop36

davisvanguard.org/2025/11/prop...

Commentary: L.A.'s federal public defender says Trump has inundated his office with immigration cases With the same first name as the last Aztec emperor, it’s not surprising that Cuauhtémoc Ortega chose to be a fighter.

Essayli has also been inundating the courts with cases that have resulted from the Trump “deportation avalanche”. We stand with Ortega and everyone fighting for justice!
www.latimes.com/california/s...