Public Defender Arrested for Defending Her Client’s Constitutional Rights

Very disturbing story out of San Francisco.  A public defender was arrested for trying to defend her client’s right to an attorney:

SF Public Defender Detained By Police After Trying To Intervene With Questioning Of Client

SF deputy public defender Jami Tillotson says she was only trying to protect her client’s constitutional right to counsel on Tuesday when she was handcuffed and arrested by SFPD officers at the Hall of Justice. SF Public Defender Jeff Adachi is outraged about the situation, and the office has just put out a release along with the above video, showing Tillotson’s arrest. She was told she was resisting arrest, but the video clearly shows her being quite calm and not resisting as she’s handcuffed. Read more

It’s sad to see what is on this video. It appears that there is no order of court require the picture taking. Unless there is one then this is a voluntary interaction with the police. This is a courageous Public Defender who apparently tried to assert her client’s rights. This is the duty of any attorney.

Justin McShane

PA DUI attorney Justin J. McShane is the President/CEO of The McShane Firm, LLC - Pennsylvania's top criminal law and DUI law firm. He is the highest rated DUI attorney in PA as rated by Avvo.com. Justin McShane is a double Board certified attorney. He is the first and so far the only Pennsylvania attorney to achieve American Bar Association recognized board certification in DUI defense from the National College for DUI Defense, Inc. He is also a Board Certified Criminal Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Approved Agency.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *