Lawyers & Youth Justice Advocates
This section provides PJDC members with access to motions, briefs, and other resources to assist them in their advocacy.
Youth, Families & Community
We believe children in the justice system must be treated with dignity, respect, and fairness. If your child is going through the court process, we provide free resources to help you understand the challenges your child faces. If your child was in the juvenile delinquency system, we have information regarding sealing and other collateral consequences of system involvement.
News & Announcements
On February 26, 2019, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the “Jeff Adachi Youth Rights” ordinance, which prohibits custodial police interrogations of youth 17 years of age or younger, unless certain conditions are first met. These conditions include: (1) providing the youth legal representation in connection with the interrogation, and (2) requiring that responsible… Continue reading →
PJDC mourns the loss of Jeff Adachi, Public Defender of San Francisco, who died suddenly on February 23rd. PJDC President Patti Lee, who serves as head of the Juvenile Division for the office said of Jeff that “He truly believed in redemption,” and that he was especially committed to providing the best juvenile defense and resources to keep… Continue reading →
In the wake of a scathing report by the Los Angeles Inspector General regarding the rampant misuse of pepper spray against incarcerated children, PJDC joined dozens of juvenile justice and civil rights organizations to urge the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to phase out the use of pepper spray in all juvenile facilities. The… Continue reading →
Our Work
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Youth Justice Reform
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Training & Technical Assistance
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“The child requires the guiding hand of counsel at every step in the proceedings against him.”
— In re Gault, 387 U.S. 1 (1967)