Hundreds Honor Public Defender Jeff Adachi at Vigil and March

Matt Gonzalez was Chief Attorney under Jeff Adachi; he now serves as Interim Public Defender. Gonzalez was one of many who struggled to hold back emotions as they spoke at a vigil for Adachi that drew hundreds saying, “I have known Jeff Adachi for 28 years and I have never known him to back down from a fight…” Gonzalez said further, “I saw him fight the powerful, I saw him battle the police, the DA’s, the judges — anybody that stood in the way of justice.” And toward end of his address he said this of his former boss, “It’s true the he made a lot of enemies along the way… but he also made a lot of friends.”

The enemies Jeff Adachi made were during his hard fight for justice. He battled with police officers, and there were many who resented it. Last year Adachi questioned District Attorney George Gascón’s decision to not charge five officers who shot and killed Mario Woods, a young black man with a knife in his hand. At last night’s vigil Phelicia Jones, who organized protests around the Woods shooting, was one of many speakers who called Adachi a man who spoke for the voiceless. “He was a friend to the black community,” she said. “He changed the structure of the criminal justice system. Job well done!” she exclaimed.

Gwen Woods, the mother of Mario, expressed condolences to the family surviving their loved one’s death. Ms. Woods said, “he spoke for people like my child…he worked to end the school to prison pipeline.” Then she shouted at the corporate media, “Respect this man’s family!” Since Adachi’s death, mainstream media has tried to portray details of the medical emergency in a salacious manner, treating it as a crime. The Public Defender’s office is calling for an investigation into a police leak that likely created fodder for the improper reporting.