Transforming Justice

Matt Gonzalez

Matt Gonzalez is the Chief Attorney of the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office. In 1999, he ran for District Attorney of San Francisco (possibly the earliest instance of a deputy public defender attempting to win such an election anywhere in the U.S.). The following year, he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and later served as its president. In 2010, while in private practice (with his law partner at the time, Whitney Leigh), he won the only known punitive damages award (in a federal civil rights trial) against an elected district attorney in California’s history.

Chesa Boudin

Chesa Boudin was elected District Attorney of San Francisco in January 2020.  Personally impacted by parental incarceration and the failings of the criminal justice system, DA Boudin is focused on reforming the criminal justice system and making our communities safer by developing data-driven policies to expand alternatives to incarceration and treat the root causes of crime. In his first few months in office, DA Boudin ended the office’s practice of asking for cash bail, eliminated status enhancements, implemented California’s first diversion program for primary caregivers, and ended the prosecution of charges resulting from racist pre-textual traffic stops. He remains committed to additional reforms that promote justice and protect public safety.

Sajid A. Khan

Sajid A. Khan, a Santa Clara County Deputy Public Defender and Alternate Defender in San Jose.  Sajid has represented countless people in various assignments including misdemeanors, general felonies, juvenile court and now homicides. 

 In 2016, his colleagues presented him “The Heart of the Office Award” for his service to the community and the people he represents.  In 2020, Sajid received the CACJ (California Attorneys for Criminal Justice) Skip Glenn Award for Excellence in Advocacy that, in the spirit of its namesake, recognizes the extraordinary achievements of a young attorney in the state of California.

In addition, Sajid and his colleague and friend Avanindar (Avi) Singh have hosted the Aider & Abettor Podcast since 2017. Sajid and Avi converse among themselves and with guests about the criminal justice system, their lives and work as public defenders and current events that involve the criminal legal system. They have hosted various guests including other public defenders from across the state and country, community organizers, candidates for elected office and sitting elected officials. 

 Sajid works closely with Silicon Valley De-Bug as part of their participatory defense movement and provides trainings to public defenders, defense attorneys and community organizations about best practices to serve and humanize the people public defenders represent.  

Pamela Price

Pamela started her professional legal career as a criminal defense attorney at the Bayview Hunters’ Point Community Defenders’ office in San Francisco.  Pamela is a graduate of Yale College and UC Berkeley Law School, and a survivor of the Ohio juvenile justice and foster care systems.  Pamela has spent her entire career advocating for justice for women. Her compassion for survivors is deeply rooted in her own personal experiences with sexual harassment, domestic violence and the criminal justice system.  As a tenacious civil rights attorney and a political activist working to advance the cause of justice, Pamela Price has a demonstrated track record of supporting progressive change and fighting for racial justice. She has handled dozens of police misconduct and race discrimination cases in state and federal courts.