Dear Editor,

We are 650 public defenders from across the country writing in solidarity with our colleague, Santa Clara Deputy Public Defender Sajid A. Khan, and in support of his message that prosecutors must be held accountable for the ways they perpetuate an institution that systematically dehumanizes Black lives.

As our nation confronts how police control and silence Black and Brown lives, we were recently reminded how prosecutors are complicit in these injustices.

In early June, Sajid Khan wrote a blog post describing how the menace of racism permeates district attorney’s offices. This was in the lead up to a nationwide, coordinated day of action on June 8, 2020, when over 100 public defender offices simultaneously marched in support of Black Lives Matter. Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen threatened to silence Khan with a meritless whistleblower complaint, misconstruing his blog posts as threats of violence against prosecutors.

In the June 3 blog post “Be mad at the police, but be even madder at the DA’s offices that perpetuate and protect them,” Khan called out the simple fact that prosecutors and police are heavily intertwined, and argued we cannot just focus our anger and outrage at the police without also examining the interconnectedness of prosecutors. We agree with his assertion that DA’s offices bear responsibility for dehumanizing Black people and “feeding mass incarceration that is fueled and filled by black bodies.”

We join Khan’s call for systemic change from the roots. When he wrote in a blog post on May 30, “No more trying to repair the irreparable” and “(w)e need to tear and shut this s---- down and start over,” Khan was, in essence describing abolition of the prison industrial complex. There is nothing violent about Khan’s assertion that the inherent racism of the criminal (in)justice system is irreparable and that we need to re-envision ways of responding to societal harms. We vehemently agree with this message.

When DA Rosen claims that Khan, a South Asian Muslim man, caused a legitimate fear of violence by his written word, the connotation is not lost on us. It is worth seriously questioning whether a white public defender’s freedom of speech would be attacked in the same manner and with the same vengeance. Further, the characterization of Khan’s words as violent rings hollow when it is the system DA Rosen participates in and defends that often uses violence as one of its tools.

Instead of inviting Khan to a conversation to address the issues, DA Rosen publicly nit-picked a few provocative words Khan used in an attempt to divert attention from his office’s role in dehumanizing Black lives. Using a tactic akin to a police interrogation, DA Rosen twisted Khan’s words, attempting to misrepresent his righteous exasperation and anger with a system that has disproportionately destroyed Black lives for far too long.

Retaliation for speech that challenges established power structures is not a new tactic. Time and time again, when the powers-that-be sense their actions maintaining white supremacy and other forms of hegemony are challenged, they seek to suppress critical speech. This includes attempts to divert public attention through counter-attacks against the voices of those who are most loudly identifying injustice.

All of us who work in the criminal legal system, including public defenders, must at the very least be willing to examine the roles we play in perpetuating systemic injustices. Prosecutors aren’t an exception and certainly need to be held accountable.

People generally respect and admire prosecutors. Historically prosecutors have been considered righteous protectors of vulnerable victims of crime who could do no wrong. That time is over. In large part thanks to Black women like Angela Davis and Michelle Alexander, community members are beginning to examine the pervasive inequities, racism and corruption in the criminal legal system.

Prosecutors are by-design the enforcers of the law. And they overwhelmingly utilize jails and prisons as the primary form of punishment in the United States. People of color, and predominantly Black and Brown people, are disproportionately arrested, charged with crimes, convicted of crimes and face harsher sentences than White people. Those who have been criminalized, their families and communities, and anyone who works in the system and is willing to look, know prosecutors have played a major role in the dehumanization and criminalization of Black lives.

As public defenders we witness this dehumanization Khan wrote about regularly in the form of heightened charges and harsher plea offers for our Black clients, intentional exclusion of Black jurors through peremptory challenges, vilifying and degrading language used to discuss Black people and communities in our courtrooms, and daily mistreatment of Black clients, family members, and attorneys in our courts. We recognize there are individual prosecutors, Black and otherwise, who believe that our system should be free from racial disparities.

But these injustices are systemic.

As we as a society reckon with the way law enforcement has historically targeted, surveilled, and forcibly occupied Black and Brown communities, so must we examine the role of prosecutors who incentivize and defend this behavior. The design and implementation of the system is for police and prosecutors to work together, holding great power and historical impunity for unethical, racist, and at times deadly actions.

Khan has asked all of us to acknowledge that the role of a prosecutor in the current system necessarily involves playing a major part in upholding White supremacy. His bravery in speaking truth to power should be a model for us public defenders as we try to shed light on and address the injustices we see and experience in the trenches. We too must not be afraid, and must not be silent.

In Solidarity,

Nuha Abusamra, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Alexander Acuña, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Akin Adepoju, Federal Public Defender

Delia Addo-Yobo, Still She Rises, Tulsa, OK

Timothy W. Ahearn, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Michelle Ahronovitz, Colorado State Public Defender, Colorado Springs

AJ, Legal Aid Society, NYC

Gabrielle Alexander, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Karina Alvarez, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Cynthia Amezcua, Orleans Public Defenders

Wayne Anderson, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office (Retired)

Jenny Andrews, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office

Bahar Ansari, The Legal Aid Society

Tristan M. Apple, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Jennifer L. Archer, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office

Brianna E. Argueta, Office of the Public Defender, Hobbs, NM

Raul Arroyo-Mendoza, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Kathy Asada, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Elbert Aull, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Jesse B., Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Sheryl M. Bailey, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office

Kasey Baker, Public Defender’s Office, 6th Circuit of Florida

Brett Balmer, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL

Anjali Bansal, Fresno County Alternate Defender Office

Ashley Barr, Los Angeles County Alternate Defender Office

Sharon Barr, Alaska Public Defender Agency

Genna Beier, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Rachel Belden, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Lindsay Bennett, Attorney and former public defender

Rachel Bennett, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Sydney A. Bennett, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office

Jeremy Bennie, Bronx Defenders

Barney Berkowitz, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Anjali Bhargava, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Nic Billings, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Laura Bixby, Orleans Public Defenders

Diane Black, Indiana Public Defender Council

Tiffiny Blacknell, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office

Alisa Blair, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office

Stephanie Huff Blaisdell, Office of Defense Services, State of Delaware

Brian Bloom, Alameda  County Public Defender’s Office

Sarah Bluestone, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Tai C. Bogan, The Bogan Law Firm, APC

Charlyn Bohland, Office of the Ohio Public Defender

Kelson Bohnet, Kansas Death Penalty Defense Unit

Chelsea Bond, Solano County Public Defender’s Office

Bruce R. Bono, Committee for Public Counsel Services, MA

Marcus Bourassa, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

Rebecca Brackman, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Rebecca Bradlow, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Lauren Bramwell, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Michelle Brandemuehl, Office of the Public Defender, Rock County, WI

Jenny Brandt, Law Offices of Jenny Brandt

Eli Braun, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Joseph Breyer, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Will Brotherson, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Jane A. Brown, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office / Public Defenders for Racial Justice

Katie S. Brown, Office of the Public Defender, Franklin, VA

Marva C. Brown, Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn, NY

Katherine Buckley, Solano County Public Defender’s Office

Aimee Buentello, Law Office of Aimee Buentello

Laura Bull, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Maddy Bullard, Colorado State Public Defender

Alex Bunin, Chief Defender, Harris County (Houston), TX

Derwyn Bunton, Orleans Public Defenders

Adam Burke, Contra Costa County Alternate Defender Office

Dennis J. Burke, Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy

Julia Burke, Office of the Appellate Defender, NY

Thomas Burse, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office

Kyt Burton, Colorado Public Defenders - Fort Collins Regional Office

Spencer Cahoon, Office of the Ohio Public Defender

Katie Calhoun, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL

Peter Calloway, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Elizabeth Camacho, San Francisco Public Defender’s Office

Brandon M. Camarillo, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Jeff Campbell, Office of the Public Defender, Prince George’s County, MD

Habekah Cannon, Public Defender’s Office, Mecklenburg, NC

Kimberly Canter, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office

Sun Cao, San Joaquin Public Defender’s Office

Vicki Carlton, Office of the Public Defender, Roswell, NM

Felicia Carrington, Solano County Public Defender’s Office

Megan Casebeer, Tulare County Public Defender’s Office

Sylvia Cediel, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Rachel Cella, Alaska Public Defender Agency

Alison Chabot, Orange County Public Defender’s Office

Elizabeth Chance, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Alena Chapps, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office

James Chavez, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

Amy Cheng, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Ji-Hyun Cho, Napa County Public Defender’s Office

Claud Chong, Office of the Public Defender, Hartford, CT

Jeff Chorney, Alameda County Public Defender's Office

Kaushiki Chowdhury, Still She Rises, Tulsa, OK

Michael T. CitaraManis, Office of the Federal Defender, District of Maryland

Cynthia Clancy, Office of the Public Defender, New Britain, CT

Kendra Clark, Alameda County Public Defender's Office

Lauren Clark, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

Stephanie Clark, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Joe Clarke, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Shaylana Cleveland, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Jody Visconti Clow, Paralegal and Transcriber

Daniel Clymo, Sonoma County Public Defender’s Office

1. Antonia Codling, Legal Aid Society Community Justice Unit, NYC

Angela Colaiuta, Office of the Public Defender, Thurston County, WA

Nick Collins, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Nathan Conn, San Francisco County Public Defender

Lauren Conner, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Cynthia Conti-Cook, Legal Aid Society, NYC

Yali Corea-Levy, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Andrew D. Correia, Office of the Public Defender, Wayne County, NY

Jean Covington, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Abbee Cox, Orleans Public Defenders

Brian Cox, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Cathryn Crawford, Lawndale Christian Legal Center, Chicago, IL

Ashley Craythorne, Orleans Public Defenders

Joseph Crumbley, Phillips Black

Aubrey Cunningham, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office

D'Adre Cunningham, Washington Defender Association

Nora T. Curran, Missouri Public Defender - Area 22

Matt Cuthbertson, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Samantha Dahan, Office of the Public Defender, Monroe County, IN

Matt Dalton, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Andrew daMota, Louisville Metro Public Defender, KY

Jordan Davis, Santa Cruz County Public Defender’s Office

Landon Davis, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Lisa Davis, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL

Thomas Denihan, Office of the Public Defender, Danbury, CT

Roopali Dhingra, King County Public Defender’s Office

Paul Dillon, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

Bao Doan, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Casey Dobel, Island Bar Advocates, MA

Maria C. Doerflinger, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Jessica Dragonetti, Nashville Defenders

Karin Drucker, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Kevin Dubrall, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Salil Dudani, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

Rose Duffy, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Roger Dunn, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Bree Durso, Solano County Alternate Public Defender Office

Noran E., Brooklyn Defender Services

Deedrea Edgar, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Sarah Einhorn, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Ijeoma U. Eke, Federal Public Defender, Central District of California

Youseef Elias, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Caroline Elliot, Wake County Public Defender, Raleigh, NC

Emily Ellison, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Sarah Ellsworth, Office of the Public Defender, 10th Judicial District, MN

Bichara Endrawos, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Keonna England, St. Louis Trial 22nd Judicial Circuit

Jodie English, Court Appointed Capital Defender, Indiana

Monique E. Eniero, Alaska Public Defender Agency

David Epps, Santa Clara Alternate Defender Office

Janis Everett, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office

Meredith Fahn, Attorney at Law

Nora Fakhri, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Deke Falls, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

Ana Faoro, Snohomish County Public Defenders Association

Rachel Farkas, Georgetown Law

Margaret Farrand, Federal Public Defender, Central District of California

Sean Farrow, Legal Aid Society, NYC

James Faulkner, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Jaime Feder, Santa Clara County Alternate Defender Office

Sandy Feinland, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Maren Kay Felde, State of Wyoming Office of the Public Defender

Cesilia Fernandez, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Gabby Ferrara, Legal Aid Society, NYC

Thomas J. Ferrito, CJA Counsel, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California

Cecilia Fierro, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Cooper Findlay, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Rebecca Fish, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

Allison Fisher, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Dana Fite, Law Office of Dana Fite

Elizabeth Forester, Brooklyn Defender Services

Richard Foxall, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Brittany Francis, Center for Appellate Litigation (NYC)

Rachelle Francis, Snohomish County Public Defenders Association

Yoyi Franco, Santa Clara County Alternate Defender’s Office

Demetra Frazier, Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Practice, NYC

Lisa Freedman, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

Annie Freitas, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office

Raffi Friedman, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

Susan Frommer, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Patrice Fulcher, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Tamara Gaffney, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Irma Gallardo, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Meredith Gallen, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office

Anisha Gandhi, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

KatieBeth Gardner, Still She Rises, Tulsa, OK

Colin Garrett, Federal Defender Program, Inc., Atlanta, GA

Diana Garrido, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Lauren Gartrell, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office

Anthony Gedeon, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Alexandra Georgieva, Office of the Public Defender, Torrington, CT

Barbara L. Gerber, Wisconsin State Public Defender

Mary Gibbons, Brooklyn Defender Services

Molly Gilbert, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Leah Gillis, Santa Clara County Independent Defense Counsel Office

Dana Goldblatt, Law Office of Dana Goldblatt

Amy Golinveaux, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Allison Gomez, Santa Clara County Public Defender's Office

Taina Gomez, Solano County Public Defender’s Office

Alma D. Gonzalez, Center for Appellate Litigation (NYC)

Abraham Gonzales, Office of the Public Defender, Ottawa County, MI

Kimberly Gordon, Gordon & Saunders, PLLC, Seattle, WA

Steven M. Greenwald, Office of the Public Defender, Luzerne County, PA

Maeve Goodbody, The Goodbody Law Firm Inc.

Alicia Granse, Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office

Scott Grant, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Jennifer Gregory, Colorado State Public Defender - Grand Junction

Breanne Grey, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Arienna Grody, Office of the Public Defender, Jefferson County, AL

Jesse Grove, Alameda County Public Defender's Office

Richard E. Gutierrez, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL

Caroline Hahn, Federal Public Defender

Firass S. Halawi, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Carrie Hall, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Sharon D. Hallstoos, Hallstoos Law Office, Dubuque, IA

Brett Hammon, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Mari Hanchar, Nashville Defenders

Kathleen Hardy, Public Defender, NY

Elizabeth Harrigan, Contra Costa Public Defender’s Office

Kelsey Harrington, Missouri State Public Defender’s Office

Brooke Harris, Center for Juvenile Law and Policy, Loyola Law School

Heather Harris, Santa Clara County Alternate Defender Office

Kleigh Hathaway, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Sarah K. Hawkins, Chief Deputy Public Defender, Clark County, NV

Scott Hechinger, Brooklyn Defender Services (former)

Seth Hemmelgarn, Missouri State Public Defender's Office - St. Louis

David C. Hemingway, Federal Public Defender’s Office, Eastern Dist., MO

Krista Henneman, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Kelley Henry, Federal Defender

Andrea Hernandez, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Teresa B. Hernandez, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Elizabeth Herman, District of Columbia Public Defender Service (former)

Nicole Herron, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Marceliers Hewett II, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Everett A. Hewlett III, San Francisco Public Defender’s Office

Pardeep Heyer, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Alexa Hillery, Missouri State Public Defender’s Office

Nora Hirozawa, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

Megan Hiserodt, Colorado State Public Defenders

Lara Hoffman, Federal Public Defender, Central District of California

David Hogan, East Baton Rouge Office of the Public Defender

Brian Holbrook, Brooklyn Defender Services

James Holley, Colorado State Public Defender

Naomi Holliday, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Mariel Hooper, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

Barksdale Hortenstine, Jr., Orleans Public Defenders

Emily Hosseini, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL

Arielle Hostetler, Solano County Public Defender’s Office

Erin Hough, Colorado Public Defender's Office, Grand Junction

Samantha House, Colorado State Public Defender

Caitlin Howard, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

Bonnie Howerton, Office of the Public Defender, 10th Judicial District, MN

Mary Hoynacki, The Legal Aid Society, Queens, NY

Jesse Hsieh, Contra Costa County Alternate Defender Office

Jesse Huber, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Sarah Hudson, Department of Public Defense, Northwest Defenders, WA

Alyssa Huff, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Nicole Huffman, New Jersey Office of the Public Defender

Jennifer Hull, Orleans Public Defenders

Jonathan Ibarra, Office of the Public Defender, NM

Michael Isko, Office of the Public Defender, New Britain, CT

Karri Iyama, Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office

Mahkaea Jackson-Sams, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Mark Jacobs, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Rebecca Jacobstein, Committee for Public Counsel Services, MA

Katy Jacot, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office

Samantha Jaffe, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

Nakisha James, Public Defender Agency, Marion County, IN

Morgan Janssen, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Aaron Jaques, Ventra County Public Defender’s Office

Brie Jefferson, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Madeleine Jennings, Orleans Public Defenders

Patrick Jensen, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Ricardo Jensen, Office of the Public Defender, Pulaski, VA

Amrutha N. Jindal, Restoring Justice, Houston

Crystal Johnson, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office

Nataniel Johnson-Gottlieb, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Christine Jones, Office of the Public Defender, Hamilton County, OH

Sara A. Jones, Orleans Public Defenders

Zoe Jordan, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Raha Jorjani, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Shelan Joseph, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office

Jodi K., Public Defender Agency, Marion County, IN

Phoebe Kasdin, Still She Rises, Tulsa, OK

Akio Katano, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office

Alexandra Katz, Bronx Defenders

Lisa L. Katz, San Francisco County Public Defender's Office

Rebecca Katz, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Brian Kazmin, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Doug Keller, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

Stacy Kelly, Orange County Public Defender’s Office

Patricia Kemp, Federal Defenders, Southern District of Alabama

Beth Kendall, Santa Clara County Alternate Defender Office

Joyce Kendrick, Brooklyn Defender Services

Bryan Kennedy, Office of the Public Defender, Fairfax, VA

Jonathan Kerr, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Natasha Khalfani, Office of the Public Defender

Aneesa Khan, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Henna Khan, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

Hussain A. Khan, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL

Song Kim, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Amy Kimpel, University of Alabama School of Law, Criminal Defense Clinic

Chrystalia King, Bronx Defenders

Naira Der Kiureghian, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Dave Klaus, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Emily Klein, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Kira Klement, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

David R. Kline, Brooklyn Defender Services

Susannah Knox, Office of the Public Defender, Charleston County

Gary Kohlman, District of Columbia Public Defender Service

Rachel Kokenes, Brooklyn Defender Services

Wan Qi Kong, Orleans Public Defenders

Amy Konstantelos, Law Offices of Amy Konstantelos

Amanda Koons, Harris County Public Defender’s Office

Mackenzie Koppenhofer, Brooklyn Defender Services

Ilana Kornfeld, Legal Aid Society, NYC

Christine L. Kroger, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office

Joan Kruckewitt, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Evan Kuluk, Contra Costa County Alternate Defender Office

Jonathan Laba, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Diego Alcala Laboy, Defensoria Legal LLC - San Juan, Puerto Rico

Lipou Laliemthavisay, Committee for Public Counsel Services, MA

Jennifer Lambert, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

Jeff Landau, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Evan Langinger, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office

Tom Larkin, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Sally (Sarah) Larsen, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Scott W. Lawrence, Snohomish County Public Defenders Association

Jung Le, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Thomas Leaf, Assistant Public Defender, Danbury Judicial District, CT

Esther Lee, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

Sung Lee, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Suan Leff, Nevada County (CA) Public Defender’s Office

Jacob Lemon-Strauss, Bronx Defenders

Angelica Leonardo, Solano County Alternate Public Defender Office

Michael Z. Letwin,  Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn NY

Sydney Levin, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Brian Levy, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Larni Levy, Committee for Public Counsel Services, Boston, MA

Haley Licha, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Marci Linde, Law Office of Marci Linde

Brandon Li, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Jerry Lim, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office

Karl Lindemann, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Zachary Linowitz, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Robert Linthicum, Baltimore City Public Defender - Youthful Defender Unit

Renee Lizarraga,  Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office

Cassandra Lopez, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc

Janice Lu, Law Office of Janice Y. Lu

Nelson Lu, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office

Timothy Lyons, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Kenisha M., Center for Appellate Litigation (NYC)

Ying-Ying Ma, Legal Aid Society, NYC

Giovanni G. Macias, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Kirby Madden, Solano County Public Defender’s Office

Shauna Madison, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Sara Maeder, Brooklyn Defender Services

Zoie Mair, Legal Aid Society, NYC

Corrie Mainville, Office of the Public Defender, Torrington, CT

Hayley E. Malcolm, Orleans Public Defenders

Alphonso C. Mance, Jr., Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Allison A. Markoski, Wisconsin State Public Defender

Michael Marks, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

John Marlow,  King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Christopher Martin, Public Defender’s Community Law Office, Knox County, TN

Robyn G. Martin, Office of the Public Defender, Thurston County, WA

Travis Martin, Missouri State Public Defender’s Office - St. Louis

Shayla Marshall, Missouri State Public Defender, District Defender

Shannon Mastromarco, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Kelly Mattingly, Janesville, WI

Karen Maurer, Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy

Kristen McCannon, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Margaret McCarthy, Brooklyn Defender Services

Catherine McCulloch, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Ian McGrattan, Contra Costa Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Alexander McHugh, Brooklyn Defender Services

Kelli McIntee, Brooklyn Defender Services

Kenda H. McIntosh, Still She Rises, Tulsa, OK

Ross McMahon, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Clark Aaron McVey, Missouri State Public Defender’s Office

Aisha S. McWeay, Still She Rises, Tulsa, OK

Althea Mease, Office of the Public Defender, Hampton, VA

Pedro Melesio,  King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Molly Meltzer, Brooklyn Defender Services

Andres Virgin Men, District of Columbia Public Defender Service

Sara Mendes, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Alina Mendez, Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office

Ethan Mendoza, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Robert Meraz, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Jane Merrill, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

Kelly M. Metters, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office

Dan Milechman, Alameda County Public Defender's Office

Carlene Miller, Law Offices of the Public Defender, New Mexico

Eli Miller, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Jimmy Miller, Orleans Public Defenders

Nathanael T. Miller, Bronx Defenders

Jenna Rae Minor, Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn, NY

Sapna Mirchandani, Office of the Federal Defender, District of Maryland

David Moakley, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Jillian Modzeleski, Brooklyn Defender Services

Jakelin Molina, Public Defenders Office For Arlington County & City of Falls Church, VA

Christina Moore, Alameda County Public Defender's Office

Daniel Moore, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office

Giulia Moore, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office

Kelsey Morales, Alameda County Public Defender's Office

Jessie Morris, Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office

Theresa Moser, Legal Aid Society, NYC

Hassan Mukhlis, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office

Stefanie Mundhenk, Lexington, KY

Reid Murdoch, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

Kathy H. Murphy, Court Appointed Counsel, Wayne County, MI

Tim Murphy, Alameda County Public Defender's Office

Ricardo Murillo, Solano County Public Defender’s Office

Ryan Napoli, Neighborhood Defenders of Harlem

Nila Natarajan, Brooklyn Defender Services

Kyle Neddenriep, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Alexandra Negin, Federal Public Defender, Eastern District of California

Gideon Newmark, Washington State Office of Public Defense

Bert Nieslanik, Colorado Public Defender (retired)

Camila Nieves, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Cuong T. Nguyen, Law Office of Cuong T. Nguyen

Hien Ngoc Nguyen, Alameda County Public Defender's Office

Sylvia Nguyen, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Takenya Nixon, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL

Allison Nobert, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office

Maya Nordberg, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Alice Noman, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Andrew Northrup, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Eli Northrup, Bronx Defenders

Nicholas R. O'Brien-Kovari, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office

Robert O'Brien, Federal Public Defender, Dist. of Nevada

Casi O’Neill, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Elaine Odeh, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL

Michael Ogul, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Tina Olson, State Appellate Defender Office

Emanuella Omori, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Jennie Otis, Alameda County Public Defender's Office

Rick Owen, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Dyan S. Owens, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Nicole Owens, Federal Defender Services of Idaho

Lisa A Packard, Office of the Appellate Defender

Chantá Parker, Neighborhood Defender Service of Detroit

Sherise Parker, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office

Amanda Parks, Santa Clara County

Adele Patterson, Office of the Public Defender (Appeals), Hartford, CT

Sydney Peck, Brooklyn Defender Services

Kat Pecore, New York County Defender Services

Joanne Peña, Office of the Public Defender, Petersburg, VA

Katarina Peña, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Chandra Peterson, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

Ashley Marie Petrey, CJA for the District of Colorado

Sylvia Pham, Orange County Public Defender’s Office

Meghna Philip, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

Meghan Piano, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Antoinette Pick-Jones, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

Jay Pitchford, Sonoma County Public Defender’s Office

Laura Pitts, Public Defender Agency, Marion County, IN

Ashlee M. Placencio, Office of the Public Defender, Las Cruces, NM

Robert Pomeroy, Still She Rises, Tulsa, OK

Kevin Pormir, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office

Thea Posel, Attorney

Sophia Posnock, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Serena Premjee, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

Lauren Prentice, Colorado State Public Defender’s Office, Grand Junction

Sarah Prentice-Mott, 9th District Public Defender's Office

Michelle Queirolo, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Dominique J. Quigley, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office

Thomas Quigley, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office

Krystal Quinlan, Mayland Office of the Public Defender

Ali Rad, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Moriah S. Radin, Federal Public Defender, Central District of California

Alejandra Ramirez, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Nikhil Ramnaney, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office

John Randolph Jr., King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Jonathan Rapping, Gideon’s Promise

Tom Rasinski, Louisville Metro Public Defender, KY

Nicholas Raskin, Legal Aid Society, NYC

Kate Raven, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Hadi Razzaq, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Jennifer Redding, Santa Clara County Public Defender's Office

Ricky Reneer, Orange County Public Defender's Office

Hope Faflick Reynolds, Kansas Appellate Defender Office

Karri Ridgeway, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Seann Riley, Bronx Defenders (former)

Angelica Rivera, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office

Gilbert Rivera, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Rosa E. Rivera, San Mateo County Private Defender Panel

Nathan M. Roberts, Office of the Public Defender, Pulaski, VA

Sheerin Roberts, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office

Kevin Robinson, Humbolt County Public Defender’s Office (retired)

Natalie Robinson, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Christine Rodriguez, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office

Zoe Root, Center for Appellate Litigation (NYC)

Julian Ross, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Kathryn Ross, Attorney at Law

Jared T. Rudolph, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Erin Ryan, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Molly Ryan, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Kelsey Ryburn, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Rachel Ryon, Snohomish County Public Defenders Association

Natalie Saba, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Nikita Saini, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Shelly Saini, Solano County Alternate Public Defender Office

Miyuki Sakoh, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Sonia Salazar, Los Angeles County Alternate Defender Office

Kristina Saleh, Still She Rises, Tulsa, OK

Allison R. Santer, Office of the Public Defender, Kanawha County, W.VA

Nitin Sapra, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Kim Savo, Federal Public Defender, Central District of California

Eric Schmidtke, Wright County Public Defenders Office

Laura Schook, Louisville Metro Public Defender, KY

Stefan Schweitzer, Alameda County Public Defender's Office

Cynthia Scofield, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Vina Seelam, CNMI Public Defender’s Office

Maria Lopez Segoviano, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office

Rebecca Seldin, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office

Tiffany Senger, Office of the Public Defender, Christian County, IL

1. Shaffer, Brooklyn Defender Services

Monica Shah, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

Zafir Shaiq, Alameda County Public Defender's Office

David A. Shapiro, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Ghazal Sharif , The G Law Firm

Winston Shaw, Office of the Public Defender, Santa Fe, NM

Jacquelyn Shelton, Brooklyn Defender Services

Marissa Sherman, Brooklyn Defender Services

Zain Shirazi, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Autumn D Shreve, Multnomah Defenders, Portland, OR

Ed Sidawi, Santa Cruz County Alternate Public Defender

Mahira Siddiqui-Mir, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Olivia Sideman, Alameda County Public Defender's Office

Joanna Silver, Office of the Federal Defender, District of Maryland

Kaylie Simon, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Hillela Simpson, Bronx Defenders

Avi Singh, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Mishya Singh, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Anisa Sirur, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Kate Skolnick, Center for Appellate Litigation (NYC)

Danielle Hamilton Slate, Office of the Public Defender, Johnson County

Lizzie Sluchak, Office of the Public Defender, Baltimore City, MD

Derek Smith, Office of the Public Defender, Norfolk, VA

Jessica Smith, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Kevin M. Smith, Wisconsin State Public Defender

Susan M. Smith, Virginia Beach Public Defender's Office

Susy Sobel,  King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Niki Solis, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Ilona Solomon, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Zachery Sosa, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Tiffany Spangler, Office of the Public Defender, Monroe County, IN

Joni Spears, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Sarah Spiegel, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Alfred J. Spielmann, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Caroline J. Spies, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Armilla Staley-Ngomo, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

Sara Star, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Christine Start, Solano County Alternate Public Defender Office

Wendy M. Steiner, Office of the Public Defender, Cook County, IL

Luke R Stellpflug, Office of the Public Defender, 10th Judicial District, MN

Jared W. Stephenson, Orange County Public Defender's Office

Bess Stiffelman, Appellate Panels

Tamica Stone, Missouri State Public Defender’s Office

Jenny Stoneburner, Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office

Lee Stonum, Orange County Alternate Defender Office

Lori Stuart, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Danielle Struzenski, Office of the Public Defender, CT

Fanny Suarez, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Claire Sullivan, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Erica Sutherland, Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office

Robert Swales, New Hampshire Public Defender

Sean Swartz, Solano County Alternate Public Defender Office

Ruth Swift, Colorado State Public Defender

Rico Tagliaferri, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Stephanie Tan, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Denisse Tanasa, Solano County Public Defender’s Office

Michael Tarleton, Office of the Appellate Defender, Georgia

Colleen Taylor, Office of the Public Defender, Madison, WI

Olivia Taylor, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Tamani Taylor, Solano County Public Defender’s Office

Vanita M. Taylor, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Sarah Tenhoff, Alternate Defense Counsel, Grand Junction, CO

Anna Teruel, Contra Costa County Alternate Defender Office

Alexander Thayer, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Jermel Thomas, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

JoNell Thomas, Special Public Defender, Clark County, NV

Josh Thorn, Montgomery County Public Defender's Office

Kate M. Thorstad, Orleans Public Defenders

Cassie Trueblood, Snohomish County Public Defenders Association

Lindsey Tuttle, Office of the Public Defender, 10th Judicial District, MN

Jane Win Thu, Orange County Public Defender’s Office

Quoc To, Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office

Van To, Orange County Public Defender’s Office

Ariel Toran, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Penny Trieu, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Damian Tucker, Office of the Public Defender, Hartford JD

George A. Turner Jr., Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office

Edward J. Ungvarsky, Northern Va. Capital Defender Office

Rosa V., Office of the Public Defender, Arlington, VA

Judyanne Vallado, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office

Kimberly Van Dyke, Alternate Defense Counsel, Grand Junction, CO

Michelle Vasquez, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Daniela A. Molina Velandia, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Mary Veral, Federal Defender Los Angeles

Sierra Villaran, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Eileen M. Virnig, Office of the State Public Defender

James D. Vitale, Chief Deputy Special Public Defender

Adrianna Vlacich, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Asha Vora, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Lara Wallman, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

David Walls, Office of the Public Defender, Fauquier and Rappahannock Counties, VA

Matt Waltz, Missouri State Public Defender's Office - St. Louis

Alexis Watts, Office of the Public Defender, 5th Judicial District, MN

Michael Way, Brooklyn Defender Services

Katelyn Weaver, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Rachel Weber, Law Office of Rachel Weber

Jocelyn Weisbrich, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office

Douglas Welch, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Jennifer Welch, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Karen Wrenbeck, Office of the Public Defender, Monroe County, IN

Emily Whalen, Brooklyn Defender Services

Jackson Whetsel, Public Defender’s Community Law Office, Knox County, TN

Sara Whitaker, Kanawha County Public Defender, Charleston, WV

Carson White, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Danielle Whiteman, Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn, NY

Sophia Whiting, Federal Public Defender, Northern District of California

Alix Willard, King County Department of Public Defense, Seattle, WA

Loren Williams, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Noah Williams, Office of the Public Defender, Monroe County, IN

Whitney Williams, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

Betsy Wilson, Sentencing Advocacy Group of Evanston, IL

Michael J. Wilson, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Heather Wise, Law Office of Heather Wise

Juliana Wishne, Brooklyn Defender Services

Lilah Wolf, San Francisco County Public Defender’s Office

Barbara Wolfe, Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office

Sara Wolkensdorfer, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

Jennvine Wong, Legal Aid Society, NYC

Nora Wong, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Brendon D. Woods, Public Defender of Alameda County, CA

Marynella Woods, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Michi Yamamoto, Solano County Alternate Public Defender Office

Andrea A. Yamsuan, Federal Public Defender

Belle Yan, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Sormeh Yasaie, Solano County Public Defender’s Office

Samantha Yee, San Francisco Public Defender’s Office

Iris Ying, Brooklyn Defender Services

Amy Yellen, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Addie Young, Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office

Emi Young, Contra Costa County Alternate Defender Office

Jenny Young, Missouri State Public Defender’s Office

Lorinda Meier Youngcourt, Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and Idaho

Zina Zaia, Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office

Negad Zaky, Zaky Law

Elma Zapata, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

Tiffany Zendejas, San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office

Madeline Zepeda, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office

Lesley Zork, District of Columbia Public Defender Service

EDITOR’S NOTE >>> This letter originally included the following sentences: “To DA Rosen: Immediately drop all efforts to suppress Khan’s speech. If you choose to continue your efforts, please add our names to your complaint, because we embrace and echo Khan’s words.” However, since the time the letter was finalized, the DA withdrew his formal complaints. Accordingly, that paragraph has been removed.