Gonzalez to lead office until successor is found

San Francisco’s Public Defender’s Office was in shock Saturday over the unexpected death of Jeff Adachi, the influential and outspoken attorney and criminal justice advocate who died Friday at age 59.

Adachi had led the office for nearly 17 years, a span in which he instigated a dramatic expansion of its reach, capabilities and political clout. He was sworn in for his fifth term as public defender last month after running unopposed in the November election.

Katy St. Clair, a spokeswoman for the office, said attorneys and staff members were gathering Saturday to console one another and process the loss of their widely admired leader.

“He inspired so many people here, and made them the lawyers that they are,” she said. “They’re remembering all the times he supported them and what they learned from him. Everyone is incredibly devastated.”

St. Clair said she is not aware of any cases that Adachi was handling directly. Adachi had been focused recently on alleged abuses of inmates by sheriff’s deputies, including severe beatings and degrading strip searches.

St. Clair said he was also working to address the practice of prosecutors “overcharging” suspects — piling on so many charges to intimidate them into plea deals.

Matt Gonzalez, Adachi’s second-in-command, will take over day-to-day operations. Gonzalez, who could not be immediately reached for comment, has been the office’s chief attorney since 2011, overseeing all internal operations. Mayor London Breed will appoint Adachi’s replacement, but exactly when that will happen is still being determined, said Jeff Cretan, a spokesman for the mayor’s office.

“Right now, the mayor is focused on Jeff’s passing and honoring his legacy,” he said.

The public defender appointed by Breed will serve until voters choose a replacement, according to Department of Elections Director John Arntz.

“The office of public defender will now be included on the ballot for the upcoming Nov. 5, 2019, election,” Arntz said in an email. “Then, the next scheduled election for public defender is November 2022.”