San Francisco Public Defender Faces Contempt Threat Over Case Refusals

Judge may hold Mano Raju and Matt Gonzalez in contempt for declining new cases due to overwhelming workloads.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju is facing a potential contempt of court charge after his office continued to refuse taking on new cases, citing unmanageable caseloads and staffing shortages. A judge had previously ordered Raju's office to stop turning down cases, but they have persisted in doing so, leading to the threat of contempt proceedings.

Why it matters

This clash between the public defender's office and the court highlights the growing crisis in the criminal justice system, where public defenders are increasingly overburdened and unable to provide effective counsel to their clients. The outcome of this case could set an important precedent on how courts handle public defender workload issues.

The details

Raju and his chief attorney, Matt Gonzalez, have argued that accepting additional clients would violate their ethical duties and their clients' constitutional rights to effective counsel. They cited national and state standards that recommend public defenders handle no more than 40 felony cases or 80 misdemeanor cases at a time, while Raju's attorneys were averaging 60 felony cases and 135 misdemeanor cases. The public defender's office estimated it needed 36 more attorneys, 34 more investigators, and 33 other staffers to adequately handle its workload.

  • In May 2025, Raju's office first started turning down some new cases.
  • In late January 2026, Judge Harry Dorfman ordered Raju's office to stop refusing cases.
  • In March 2026, a hearing is scheduled where the judge may hold Raju and Gonzalez in contempt.

The players

Mano Raju

The San Francisco Public Defender who has been refusing to take on some new cases due to overwhelming workloads.

Matt Gonzalez

The chief attorney in the San Francisco Public Defender's Office who is also facing potential contempt charges.

Judge Harry Dorfman

The San Francisco Superior Court judge who ordered Raju's office to stop refusing cases and may now hold them in contempt.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Contempt is particularly inappropriate here because, faced with a workload crisis, Mr. Raju and Mr. Gonzalez have no choice — ethically or constitutionally — but to decline new cases.”

— Kory DeClark, Attorney representing Raju and Gonzalez (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The judge will decide at the upcoming hearing whether to hold Raju and Gonzalez in contempt of court for continuing to refuse new cases. If found in contempt, they could face fines, though jail time is unlikely.

The takeaway

This case highlights the growing crisis in public defense, where overburdened public defenders are forced to make difficult ethical choices between taking on more clients than they can effectively represent or turning down cases, potentially denying defendants their constitutional right to counsel. The outcome could set an important precedent for how courts address public defender workload issues.